HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Diplomatic Protection Group

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 7W, on Diplomatic Protection Group, what safety and environmental issues were highlighted by the health and safety assessment; and what possible solutions are being considered.

Nick Harvey: The safety and environmental issues highlighted by the assessment were: a safe means for officers to leave the premises without danger from motor vehicles; the provision of a means of escape in case of fire; adequate ventilation and prevention of dampness. Solutions being considered to address the first issue are the provision of a convex mirror, a dedicated and marked walkway and instructions to the Officers not to use the vehicle exit ramp; on the other issues, a study is being undertaken of alternative accommodation on the parliamentary estate as well as of the feasibility of adapting the current accommodation so that it meets adequate standards.

Discrimination

David Davies: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of the House service and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: In 2003, one claim alleging racial discrimination was brought against the House. It was not upheld by the Employment Tribunal. There have been no claims of discrimination based on sex or sexual orientation.

Drinking Water

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will make it its policy to make jugs of tap water available in all dining rooms in the parliamentary estate.

Nick Harvey: Jugs of water are available in all House of Commons dining rooms. Jugged water is offered as a matter of course with bottled water available to diners if they prefer it.

Drinking Water

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the names and address are of suppliers of bottled water to the Department of Facilities; and what estimate has been made of the number of  (a) lorry journeys and  (b) lorry miles generated by these companies in order to meet orders placed by the Department and its predecessor in each year for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: There is one supplier of bottled water to the Department of Facilities. It is:
	Hildon Ltd
	Broughton
	Hampshire SO20 8DG
	The number of lorry journeys and lorry miles generated by this company is as follows:
	
		
			  Summary  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Total deliveries 165 187 178 195 189 
			 Approx mileage for the year 12705 14399 13706 15015 14553 
			 Distance from supplier to HoP 77 77 77 77 77 
		
	
	These mileage figures do not include a return journey as the supplier's vehicles continue to other destinations with further deliveries.
	When delivering to the House of Commons the vehicle is sent into London each day fully loaded with multi drop orders for the London area and hence the vehicle is fully utilised to ensure maximum efficiency.
	Hildon have ordered an additional emission free battery powered vehicle which will be used for deliveries to the House of Commons and surrounding area.

Parking

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the  (a) names,  (b) job titles and  (c) employers are of all persons with a permit to use the House underground car park who are not hon. Members, hon. Members' staff or staff of the House.

Nick Harvey: As at 14 March 2008 there are 207 valid permits for the underground car park (excluding Members, Members' staff and staff of the House). These are broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Employer  Job title(s)  Permits 
			 Metropolitan Police Service Police/security/fire officers 160 
			 Post Office Operational postal grades 13 
			 Press Correspondents/journalists/reporters 10 
			 PICT Consultants/engineers/managers 7 
			 House of Commons Whips Officers/assistants/messengers 5 
			 Parliamentary Broadcasting Manager/operator/engineer 3 
			 Jacksons Lifts Engineers 2 
			 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Director/secretary 2 
			 W B Gurney and Sons LLP Shorthand writer to the House 1 
			 House of Lords Chapel Verger/Principal Attendant 1 
			 Rediffusion Engineer 1 
			 Security Services Group Engineer/electrician 2 
		
	
	For security and legal reasons, the names of the permit holders have not been included.
	These permits are predominantly required for staff who work unsocial hours, when public transport is unavailable. They are only provided when the requirements of Members and staff of the House have been appropriately catered for.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electronic Voting

Eric Pickles: To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what assessment has been made by the Electoral Commission in the remote electronic voting pilots in the 2007 local elections of  (a) the effect on turnout and  (b) the value for money of such schemes.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its reports on the 2007 local election pilot schemes, published in August 2007, found that there was no discernible effect on turnout in those elections. The Commission further found that the fragmented nature of the pilots meant that it was not possible to reach firm conclusions on which pilot schemes, if any, offered value for money.
	The Commission's reports can be found on its website at:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Property

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residential properties his Department owns; how many of these are vacant; and how many of these have been vacant for longer than  (a) three,  (b) six and  (c) 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office owns 16 residential properties, 13 of which are currently occupied. The three vacant properties are with estate agents for sale on the open market; one is only recently vacated, one has been vacant for over three months, the other for over six months.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Impact Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many regulatory impact assessments his Department has conducted in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: Information on the final regulatory impact assessments published between 1 January and 30 June 2007 can be found in Command Paper 7297, available at:
	http://bre.berr.gov.uk/regulation/ria/regulatory_reporting/index.asp.
	Departments are in the process of identifying the final regulatory impact assessments published between 1 July and 31 December 2007. From April 2008, all final impact assessment will be published on a central website.

Departmental Pensions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of staff in his Department were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years.

David Cairns: The staff in the Scotland Office are seconded from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice who maintain the necessary payroll records. The office does not hold information on staff making additional voluntary contributions.

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what payments his Department has made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has made no payments to Ipsos MORI since 1 April 2006.

Press

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of the press offices of  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies was in each year since 1996-97; what the cost was in each quarter since 1st April 2007; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The office does not disaggregate its corporate and central running costs to this level of detail.

Press

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many press office staff were employed by  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) in each year since 1996-97 and (ii) at the latest date for which information is available.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The number of Press Officers is published in the office's annual reports, copies of which are in the House Library.

TRANSPORT

A2: M2

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimate is for the final cost of the realignment of the A2 trunk road between Pepper Hill and the M2.

Tom Harris: It is anticipated that the scheme will be delivered within the approved budget of £122.3 million.

Abandoned Vehicles: Fees and Charges

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to amend the fixed charge for removing a vehicle from the highway.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	We have undertaken a public consultation exercise and further consideration of our original proposals in the light of responses. We are currently finalising our plans for new Regulations which I intend to lay to come into effect in October this year. These Regulations will set the charges that apply when the police use their statutory powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act to remove a vehicle that is illegally, dangerously or obstructively parked, or broken down or abandoned whether on or off-road.

Abandoned Vehicles: Fees and Charges

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely effects of proposed changes in the charges for removing vehicles from the highway on  (a) motorists and  (b) insurers.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	A partial impact assessment was included with the consultation document issued on the proposed changes. The document is available on the Home Office website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/stat-charges-index

Aviation: Radioactive Materials

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 41W, on aviation: radioactive materials, what the country of origin was of each of the shipments into the UK.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The countries of origin of those shipments notified to the Office of Civil Nuclear Security were as follows (the numbers of shipments are in parenthesis):
	Spent nuclear fuel: Sweden (2); Japan (1)
	Uranium fuel elements: Germany (16)
	Uranium hexafluoride: France (12); Netherlands (9); Russia (6); South Korea (2); Germany (1)
	Uranium dioxide: Spain (1); USA (1)
	Am241: Russia (5)
	Of the 16 shipments of large sealed sources which were notified to the DfT: six originated from Argentina, six from Canada, three from Russia and one from France.

Aviation: Radioactive Materials

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 41W, on aviation: radioactive materials, what the destination of each of the shipments leaving the UK was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The destinations of those shipments notified to the Office of Civil Nuclear Security were as follows (the numbers of shipments are in parenthesis):
	Mixed oxide fuel elements: Switzerland (1)
	Uranium hexafluoride: USA (37); France (9); Sweden (6); South Korea (5); China (2); Japan (2)
	Uranium dioxide: Spain (26); Japan (7); USA (1)
	Am241: USA (5)
	The destinations of the large sealed source shipments notified to the DfT were:
	Argentina (3), Austria, Belgium, Canada (3), China, Czech Republic, France (4), Germany, Ireland (4), Italy (2), Japan, Netherlands (2), Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Thailand and the USA.
	Note that the total number of shipments was less than the 34 reported in my answer of 28 January,  Official Report, column 41W. This was due to some double counting when compiling the earlier figures.
	Of the nine shipments of radioactive waste authorised by the Environment Agency, six were to Sweden and three to the USA.

Crossrail: Consultants

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on  (a) legal advice,  (b) banking and financial consultants and  (c) other consultants for work on Crossrail.

Tom Harris: The amount spent by the Department on legal, banking and financial consultants and other consultants in support of Crossrail is shown in the following table. The figures include spend incurred since financial year 2003-04. They represent actual costs to date.
	
		
			  Type of consultancy  Amount (£) 
			 Legal 8,598,195 
			 Finance/Banking 1,287,265 
			 Other 2,775,904

Departmental Pensions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of staff in her Department were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of staff in the Department for Transport making additional voluntary contributions to their pension in each of the last two years are as follows:
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 Number of staff 886 912 
			 Percentage of staff 4.6 4.7

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1415W, on departmental travel, if she will provide the figures on departmental travel  (a) within the UK and  (b) overseas for the financial year 2006-07.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Travel arrangements in the Department for Transport and its agencies are made in the most efficient and cost-effective way, and all official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in staff handbooks.
	The central Department and two of its agencies (MCA and VCA) spent £6,007,819 on UK travel and subsistence, and £3,575,487 on overseas travel and subsistence in 2006-07.
	Four agencies (DSA, DVLA, GCDA, and HA) were unable to differentiate fully between UK and overseas travel, but spent a total of £14,486,503 on all travel-related expenses.
	The remaining agency, VOSA, could provide the information only at disproportionate cost.

Heathrow Airport

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the consultation on Adding Capacity at Heathrow, what research her Department has evaluated on the effects of levels of efficiency in slot utilisation at Heathrow airport on the economy.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Slots at Heathrow are allocated to airlines in accordance with the EU slot allocation regulations. They are currently very highly utilised; for the summer 2008 season, 98 per cent. of available day time slots have been allocated. Airlines are required to use slots allocated 80 per cent. of the time in order to maintain rights to use them in future. A system of monitoring and legally enforceable sanctions is also in place to help ensure airlines do not abuse allocated slots. Further, a number of airlines at Heathrow exchange slots with each other, including with financial consideration, which should lead to a more efficient use of slots.

M1

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to bring forward the development of Junction 11a of the M1.

Tom Harris: The proposed A5—M1 Link Dunstable Northern Bypass scheme which includes the development of a new junction 11a on the M1, is currently planned for completion by 2014-15, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of the necessary statutory process and availability of funding from the Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) for major transport schemes in the East of England.
	We have informed the East of England regional assembly that the Highways Agency is preparing the scheme on the basis that an earlier delivery timetable would be feasible if the region decided to prioritise the delivery of the scheme to an earlier timetable.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cars brought into the UK by owners from other European Union countries were registered through  (a) mutual recognition/commission notice schemes and  (b) other methods in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005, (iv) 2006 and (v) 2007.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 18 March 2008
	The number of mutual recognition/commission notice certificates issued for cars from 2003 to 2007 are as follows:
	
		
			   Issued 
			 2003 3.257 
			 2004 3.195 
			 2005 3.374 
			 2006 3.578 
			 2007 3.581

Motor Vehicles: Sales

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department and its agencies has spent on promoting the requirement on vehicle sellers to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of change of ownership in each of the last five years; and what steps have been taken to promote public awareness of the requirement on sellers over this period.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This following table provides details of amounts spent during financial years 2002-03 and 2005-06. No specific amount has been allocated for this purpose since then.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 24,607 
			 2003-04 194,443 
			 2004-05 202,817 
			 2005-06 238,050 
			 Total 659,917 
		
	
	Publicity campaigns ranged from radio advertising, poster and leaflet campaigns and articles in relevant magazines and perimeter advertising during an England football match.

Network Rail

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the benefits and disbenefits that would arise should the non-executives on the board of Network Rail be appointed to that position other than by Network Rail.

Tom Harris: Network Rail is a private sector company. Changes to Network Rail's corporate governance arrangements are matters for the company's board and members.

Operation Stack

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in identifying a long-term, off-road solution for Operation Stack; what discussions have been held with Kent county council in respect to its location and funding; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department and the Highways Agency have undertaken work to assess the viability of a multi-purpose lorry park in Kent which would have included an area that would be used for Operation Stack purposes. However, the initial findings suggest that there is a large gap between potential income and costs.
	Separately there have been discussions with Kent county council over the short and longer term solutions to the problems around Operation Stack. The council are in the process of investigating potential off-road sites for parking up lorries and will be advising me of their conclusions in due course.

Railway Stations: Access

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints her Department has received from  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations on railway stations without adequate disabled access.

Tom Harris: Since 2005, when the Department for Transport took over responsibility for station access from the Strategic Rail Authority, we have received 20 complaints from individuals, and 10 complaints from organisations, about the level of access to railway stations for disabled people.

Railways: Felixstowe

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration has been given to upgrading the railway between Felixstowe and the Midlands; and what the latest cost estimate was.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport announced in October 2007 the provision of Productivity TIP funding of £80 million for the enhancement of the route from Peterborough to Nuneaton. In addition, as part of a S106 agreement, Hutchinson Ports UK agreed to fund improvements to the route from Felixstowe to Peterborough.
	Further enhancements to the line from Felixstowe to the Midlands are potential candidates for funding from the £200 million Strategic Freight Network provision announced in the summer 2007 Rail White Paper. Network Rail is developing the schemes concerned and project estimates are a matter for it.

Railways: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with Transport for London and train operating companies on the provision of Oyster facilities at London mainline train stations; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport, Transport for London and train operators are working together on the acceptance of Oyster Pay as You Go at London train stations and the acceptance of ITSO Smartcards on Oyster equipment.

Railways: South Central

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what period she plans that the next South Central franchise to run.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport is currently considering the matter of franchise length as part of development of the franchise specification for South Central. We hope to make an announcement shortly.

Railways: South Central

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons she has decided that bidders for the next South Central franchise will be required to bid in accordance with a train operating timetable constructed by her Department.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport will not be constructing any timetables for the South Central franchise.
	Network Rail is currently engaged in a process of developing timetables to facilitate the delivery of the East London line extension in mid 2010, and the construction of the Thameslink project, particularly works at London Bridge, from 2012. These industry developed timetables will be provided to bidders.
	Given the complexity of the South London network and the fact that the East London Line timetable will come into force around six to nine months after the new franchise starts it is prudent that planning for such events begins in advance of the new franchise. Network Rail is leading this process.

Roads: Accidents

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal road traffic accidents involving vehicles driven by people who had not passed a driving test and were unaccompanied by a qualified driver there were in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Information requested is not available.

Roads: Accidents

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal road traffic accidents there were involving the offence of taking and driving away in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported fatal road accidents in which a police officer attended the scene of the accident and a 'stolen vehicle' was recorded as a contributory factor for 2005 and 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of accidents 
			  Contributory factor  2005  2006 
			 Stolen vehicle 22 40 
		
	
	Information on contributory factors is not available prior to 2005.
	The 'stolen vehicle' code is used only where the fact that the vehicle was stolen influenced the driver/rider's behaviour and contributed to the accident. Information on contributory factors to personal injury road accidents is published in 'Road Casualties Great Britain: the annul report' available in the Libraries of the House and on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesgbar/roadcasualtiesgreatbritain2006

Roads: Cheshire

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents occurred at the Nether Alderley junction between the A34 and the A537 in Cheshire in each of the last eight years, broken down by those which resulted in  (a) fatalities,  (b) serious injuries,  (c) minor injuries and  (d) other outcomes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of  (a) fatal,  (b) serious and  (c) slight reported personal injury road accidents at the junction between the A34 and A537 in Cheshire are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of accidents 
			   Fatal  Serious  Slight  Total 
			 1999 0 0 0 0 
			 2000 1 1 0 2 
			 2001 0 0 1 1 
			 2002 0 0 1 1 
			 2003 0 0 2 2 
			 2004 0 0 1 1 
			 2005 0 1 0 1 
			 2006 0 0 1 1 
		
	
	Information on damage only accidents is not collected.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1276W, on animal welfare: religion, what progress has been made on taking into account the views of religious communities while upholding the requirements of animal health and welfare legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Further to my holding reply of 4 February, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment held a meeting on 7 February with representatives of the Hindu community.
	They discussed how we take into account the views of Hindu religious communities when enforcing the requirements of animal health and welfare legislation. It was agreed that interested parties should work together to establish how such cases should be approached in future.
	In addition, they proposed that a protocol should be drawn up which, while acknowledging the deeply-held religious beliefs of the Hindu community, will ensure that animals do not suffer unnecessarily.
	DEFRA officials will be contacting interested parties shortly to seek their views on an initial draft of the protocol.

Animal Welfare

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he was first advised that the RSPCA were seeking in December 2007, to euthanise the cow, Gangotri, at Bhaktivedanta Manor under the terms of the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 14 March 2008
	An Animal Health Veterinary Officer visited Bhaktivedanta Manor on 4 December 2007 to discuss Gangotri's welfare situation with the keepers.
	He concluded that the animal was suffering unnecessarily and wrote to the Hindu community at Bhaktivedanta Manor on 5 December 2007, advising that the animal should be put down during an arranged visit on 7 December 2007.
	Consent for euthanasia was refused on 7 December and the veterinary officer withdrew to discuss the matter with the divisional veterinary manager.
	RSPCA staff telephoned Animal Health officials on 11 December to advise them of their concerns about Gangotri. The Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Health was informed about the Gangotri case on the afternoon of 12 December and was advised that imminent euthanasia was likely.

Bluetongue Disease

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is the specified minimum time within which farmers must vaccinate once a decision to vaccinate against bluetongue has been made.

Jonathan R Shaw: Working in partnership with a Core Group of stakeholders, we have developed a vaccination delivery plan. This advances a voluntary approach, supported by an industry-led campaign to promote the importance of vaccination. The plan aims to:
	i. allow vaccination to be rolled out as quickly as possible, as the doses are delivered;
	ii. reduce the cost of vaccination to a minimum by using existing delivery chains and reducing regulatory burdens; and
	iii. encourage farmers to take advantage of the freedom to make business decisions based on knowledge of the potential costs of the disease and the significant benefits that vaccination offers.
	Therefore, there will be no specified minimum time within which farmers must vaccinate once a decision to vaccinate against bluetongue has been made.

Bluetongue Disease

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency arrangements he has made for controlling imports of livestock from the EU should bluetongue become more prevalent.

Jonathan R Shaw: Bluetongue-susceptible animals coming from a bluetongue zone in another member state must satisfy the requirements of Annex III of the EU Bluetongue Regulation (1266/2007). Susceptible animals may be moved out of restricted zones into free areas, provided an official veterinarian from the exporting country has certified that all the necessary conditions are met. Importers also have a responsibility only to import animals that comply with the rules and to notify Animal Health before the movement takes place. Animals are permitted to move freely within the same zones within EU member states; for example, from the French protection zone to the UK protection zone.
	As a precautionary measure, all susceptible animals imported into the UK from continental EU member states are post-import tested for bluetongue. This measure has been in place since May 2006.

Cattle

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of cows in the national herd which are being kept in zero-grazed conditions.

Jonathan R Shaw: No such estimates have been made.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dogs were destroyed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Figures for the number of destruction orders made under dangerous dogs legislation are not held centrally.

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA was one of the Government Departments that was criticised by the Disability Rights Commission in 2007 for failing to produce an effective Disability Equality Scheme. Rather than trying to improve and strengthen the disability aspects of our Joint Equality Scheme, DEFRA took the opportunity to produce a more focused and effective single equality scheme for disability.
	Our new scheme was developed with the involvement of disabled people and was approved by the new Equalities and Human Rights Commission at the end of 2007. This new Disability Equality Scheme has been published in full and summary form on the DEFRA internet site.
	Over the past year, and during the course of developing our new scheme we have seen some very tangible improvements for disabled and deaf staff and service users. We have, for example, created a central disability fund to meet the cost of reasonable adjustments for disabled and deaf staff in the Core DEFRA Department. Our bullying and harassment policy has been revised and we have recruited and trained a cohort of harassment advisers. We have also launched a mediation service for staff. In addition, we have strengthened our relationship with DisNet, our staff network for disabled staff. A very significant advancement has been in the governance arrangements for our Disability Equality Scheme. We have set up a Disability Equality Scrutiny and Advisory Group made up of independent disabled experts to monitor and advise on our progress against our action plans.

Departmental Property

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what property has been lost or stolen from his Department since 1997; and what the cost of replacement was.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following tables provide details of property lost/stolen with an estimated value of over £50 (at the time of loss). Items valued at under £50 are not recorded.
	
		
			  1996-97 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 2 VCR machines  
			 Laboratory Equipment  
			 Camcorder and accessories  
			 Toaster and electric fans  
			 Total replacement cost 2,150 
		
	
	
		
			  1997-98 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 2 PCs  
			 Answering machine  
			 Telephone and answering machine  
			 Total replacement cost 6,130 
		
	
	
		
			  1998-99 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 Dictaphone  
			 5 laptops  
			 2 processors  
			 2 PCs  
			 Total replacement cost 18,465 
		
	
	
		
			  1999-2000 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 8 laptops and 1 printer  
			 3 PSION  
			 4 power adaptors  
			 Field equipment  
			 3 software packages  
			 2 PCs  
			 2 Mobile telephone  
			 Total replacement cost 21,835 
		
	
	
		
			  2000-01 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 15 laptops: 1 printer; 1 modem  
			 34 processors  
			 7 PCs  
			 2 Mobile telephones and unauthorised calls  
			 12 rolls of gaffer tape  
			 Total replacement cost 41,240 
		
	
	
		
			  2001-02 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 13 laptops  
			 Samsung Fax machine  
			 4 projectors  
			 2 printers  
			 1 mobile telephone  
			 DIM cards  
			 1 keyboard  
			 Total replacement cost 21,437 
		
	
	
		
			  2002-03 
			  Description  Value () 
			 23 laptops  
			 4 LCD projectors  
			 12 PDA  
			 Total replacement cost 32,812 
		
	
	
		
			  2003-04 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 2 laptops  
			 Various car parts from official DEFRA vehicle  
			 1 mobile telephone  
			 Total replacement cost 8,751 
		
	
	
		
			  2004-05 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 3 laptops  
			 3 monitors  
			 42 inch plasma screen TV  
			 Olympus digital camera  
			 Garmin GPS  
			 Fuji digital camera  
			 Kodak digital camera  
			 1 PDA  
			 Total replacement cost 7,372 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 18 Laptops  
			 Desk top Microphones  
			 Data projector  
			 Victorian desk  
			 Tom Tom Navigation device  
			 1 digital camera  
			 4 mobile telephones  
			 1 PDA  
			 6 projectors  
			 2 monitors and memory box  
			 Total replacement cost 24,797 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 22 Laptops  
			 8 PDA  
			 1 monitor  
			 2 docking stations  
			 4 mobile telephones  
			 Total replacement cost 19,319 
		
	
	
		
			  2007-08 
			  Description  Value (£) 
			 13 Laptops  
			 1 PDA  
			 1 projector  
			 1 docking station  
			 1 charger  
			 1 digital camera  
			 Total replacement cost 12,700 
		
	
	This information has been drawn from records held by the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (covering the financial years 1996-97 to 2000-01) and this Department from 2001-02 to the present. No information is available for losses incurred by the former Department of Environment.
	IT services were outsourced to IBM in October 2004 and all IT equipment then became the property of the new service provider .

Departmental Property

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many residential properties are owned by his Department; how many of these are vacant; and how many have been vacant for longer than  (a) three months,  (b) six months and  (c) 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department currently owns 91 dwellings of which nine dwellings, surplus to operational requirements, are vacant as at 10 March. Of the nine vacant dwellings, eight are vacant as a consequence of being sold subject to contract and one is being offered for sale.
	The number of dwellings falling in to the vacancy periods are  (a) five dwellings have been vacant in excess of three months  (b) two dwellings have been vacant in excess of six months and  (c) two dwellings have been vacant in excess of 12 months. The remaining two vacant dwellings have been unoccupied for less than three months.

Dolphins: Moray Firth

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of oil and gas exploration in the Moray Firth on bottlenose dolphin populations.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1100W.

Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the comments of the Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Health on 30 January 2008,  Official Report, House of Lords, column 711W, in what circumstances the Government will come back to Parliament to amend the revenue-neutrality condition.

Joan Ruddock: The Government currently have no plans to come back to Parliament to amend the revenue-neutrality condition. We believe that our proposals for a revenue-neutral scheme are the right way forward.
	However, even though it is a low possibility, we think it is sensible to have the flexibility to amend the legislation in the light of experience with the pilots and on an ongoing basis if we make the powers more widely available in the future. The affirmative resolution procedure offers strong accountability and reflects the importance we attach to the revenue-neutrality condition.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether properties with a class H council tax exemption will be liable for the new charges for the collection of household waste in areas where the charges are being introduced.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill allow up to five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	Properties with a class H council tax exemption are unoccupied dwellings held for Ministers of Religion. The exact details of how a scheme operates—including which households in an area are covered—would be up to the local authorities coming forward to run pilots to decide. However, where domestic properties are not occupied, one would not expect household waste to be generated or collected and, therefore, it would be unlikely that waste incentives would apply.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the new charges for the collection of household waste will be levied on  (a) student halls of residence,  (b) houses of multiple occupancy and  (c) blocks of flats with communal waste bins or chutes.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill allow up to five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	As with many of the powers that councils have in relation to local services, it will be up to individual authorities, working with their communities, to decide which households a pilot scheme should cover. This includes whether or not to cover flats, student halls of residence, multiple occupancy accommodation or where householders have communal bins.
	The Climate Change Bill states that pilot authorities will be required to take account of the needs of potentially disadvantaged groups in devising and running waste incentive schemes. They may, for example, wish to make special provision for some groups, or exempt them from the scheme altogether. We will be working with stakeholders to develop guidance for local authorities on this.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many waste collection authorities have  (a) closed lid policies and  (b) no side waste collection policies, for the collection of household waste.

Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 753W.

Fly Tipping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) estimate of the level of fly-tipping and  (b) assessment of trends in the incidence of fly-tipping the Environment Agency made in each of the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: The following table shows the summary totals of fly-tipping incidents reported to Flycapture by local authorities and the Environment Agency in England for the three years for which data are available.
	
		
			  Year  Total local authority incidents  Change on previous year (percentage)  Total Environment Agency incidents  Change on previous year (percentage) 
			 2006-07 2,633,518 +5 988 -36 
			 2005-06 2,508,436 +172 1,540 -64 
			 2004-05 922,204 n/a 4,330 n/a 
		
	
	A possible reason for the rise in fly-tipping offences recorded by Flycapture in its second and third years may simply be due to better reporting and a rise in the number of local authorities in England submitting regular returns. In the first year only 174 of the 354 authorities provided a full year of data returns. In 2006-07, this number rose to 323.
	Over time, the database will help us build up a more accurate picture of illegally dumped waste, as well as providing a useful management tool for local authorities in tackling the problem.
	Since April 2005, the Environment Agency has refocused its resources at tackling the more serious and organised illegal waste dumping crimes while local authorities tackle the high numbers of small scale fly-tipping. This is reflected in a decrease in the number of incidents the Environment Agency has tackled in the last three years.

Mauve Stingers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2281W on mauve stingers, to which types of jellyfish blooms the UK is vulnerable; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2281W, on mauve stingers, what assessment he has made of whether climate change has made the UK more vulnerable to mauve stingers; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2281W, on mauve stingers, whether he has commissioned research into mauve stingers; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2281W, on mauve stingers, on which occasions mauve stingers have affected the UK aquaculture sector; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are six species of jellyfish that occur in UK coastal waters. They are:
	(a) Mauve stinger Pelagia noctiluca
	(b) Compass jellyfish Chrysaora hysoscella
	(c) Lion's mane jellyfish Cyanea capillata
	(d) Blue jellyfish Cyanea lamarckii
	(e) Moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita
	(f) Barrel jellyfish Rhizostoma octopus
	Mauve stingers are oceanic and occur in coastal waters only occasionally. Little is known about the temporal and spatial patterns of occurrence for mauve stingers. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) have awarded a short-term (6-month) urgency award to Swansea university to assess the overall extent of mauve stinger occurrence in the Irish sea and adjacent waters during the winter of 2007-08.
	The last two decades have seen increasing water temperatures around the UK and as mauve stingers have a predominantly southern distribution (e.g. being highly abundant in the Mediterranean) we might thus expect increasing bloom formation around the UK coast.
	The problems with fish damage and mortalities due to influx of jellyfish swarms are well known to the finfish aquaculture industry, and to their insurers. In the UK and Ireland, Mauve stingers and other oceanic jellyfish such as Solmaris corona, along with some common coastal species such as the moon jellyfish Aurelia, are known to have caused significant mortalities of farmed fish. The problem is a global one for marine fish farmers. Although the industry has developed some ways to manage and mitigate the risks and effects of toxic plankton, these are not always effective with large swarms of jellyfish that can appear suddenly on one tide and disappear on the next, or may persist for days or weeks.
	There is no systematic reporting of jelly fish events and the reports that Fisheries Research Services (FRS) has are of an ad-hoc nature. A table summarising jellyfish incidents follows.
	
		
			  Number of affected sites  Number of fish killed  Biomass lost (Tonnes) 
			 8 244,000 404 
			 3 4,300 unknown 
			 43 2,275,100 5,754 
			 26 1,857,800 2,552 
			 10 205,750 317.7 
			 2 770 2.76 
			 4 117,838 317 
			 4 48,827 110.2 
			 3 280,000 472 
			  Source: FRS 
		
	
	It is important to note that as the aquaculture industry has developed since the mid nineteen eighties they increasingly use commercial fish vets and their own labs to investigate such incidents which are not notifiable under statute.

Nature Conservation

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of trading in endangered species in each year since the new legislation on such trading was introduced.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 in England and Wales for the years 2000 to 2006, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2000 10 6 
			 2001 11 6 
			 2002 4 3 
			 2003 10 2 
			 2004 4 3 
			 2005 2 0 
			 2006 10 10 
		
	
	These figures are on the principal offence basis. Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	In addition, the number of individuals who were prosecuted under section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 for offences involving specimens covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora during the same period, can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2000 1 1 
			 2001 2 2 
			 2002 4 3 
			 2003 0 — 
			 2004 1 1 
			 2005 0 — 
			 2006 1 1

Organic Farming: Subsidies

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was awarded from the public purse to the Co-operative Wholesale Society's farming division via countryside and land stewardship schemes and other Government-administered farm, environmental and landownership support schemes in respect of the Society's Stoughton farming estate within Harborough District and the Borough of Oadby and Wigston in Leicestershire in each year for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: Payments to Stoughton estate:
	
		
			  £ 
			   All payments to Stoughton Estate  Countryside stewardship  Entry level stewardship  Other Government administered schemes( 1) 
			 2003-04 49,465.45 — 28,347.24 21,118.21 
			 2004-05 120,851.13 — 34,915.56 85,935.57 
			 2005-06 63,694.56 — 32,027.18 31,667.38 
			 2006-07 119,543.07 51,801.00 31,138.73 36,603.34 
			 2007-08 78,820.23 51,546.50 28,274.23 — 
			 2008-09 25,773.00 25,773.00 — — 
			 Total 459147.44 129,120.50 154,702.94 175,324.50 
			 (1) Other Government administered schemes includes FWPS, Slaughter Premium Scheme, LP, OFS 
		
	
	It is not possible to extract the amount paid to the Stoughton Estate through the Single Payment Scheme without incurring disproportionate cost.

Packaging: Carbon Emissions

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production, distribution and disposal of  (a) plastic carrier bags and  (b) paper bags of equivalent size; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 17 March 2008
	Assessments by the Waste and Resources Action Programme put the emissions associated with the production, distribution and disposal of the 13 billion plastic carrier bags given out every year in the UK at around 234,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.
	We do not have a carbon emissions figure for paper bags of equivalent size. However, many studies have shown that paper bags have the potential for greater environmental impacts, as they require more energy to produce, transport and recycle.
	This is why the Government's goal to phase out single-use carrier bags applies to both plastic and paper bags.

Refrigerators: Recycling

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of  (a) chlorofluorocarbon,  (b) hydrofluorocarbon and  (c) hydrocarbon recovery rates arising from the recycling of fridges in the latest period for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 17 March 2008
	Recovery rates are not recorded for these categories separately.
	For 2006, around 2.7 million fridges and freezers were collected for treatment in England and Wales. Around two million of these contained ozone-depleting substances when manufactured. Their treatment resulted in over 440 tonnes of ozone-depleting substances (e.g. chlorofluorocarbons) being recovered for destruction.
	Figures for 2007 are not yet available.

Refrigerators: Waste Disposal

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of fridges disposed of by  (a) fragmentisers and  (b) approved authorised treatment facilities since the introduction of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 17 March 2008
	DEFRA has not made any such estimates. All separately collected waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)—including fridges—must be treated by approved authorised treatment facilities (AATFs) in accordance with the published guidance on best available treatment, recovery and recycling techniques. Some of these AATFs may be fragmentisers.
	Under the WEEE Directive, fridges are included in the "large household appliances" category. AATFs record the amount of each WEEE category that they have treated but only those that are specialist fridge treatment plants record the number of fridges that have been treated. Figures for the number of fridges treated by fragmentisers or by AATFs in total are therefore not available.

Seeds: EC Action

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of incremental costs for seed registration; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The statutory fees relating to seeds registration are those charged by the national authorities in respect of costs reasonably incurred in carrying out official measures for the purposes of The Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 2001, as amended.
	Fees were last revised in May 2006 following a major redesign of the official measures. This resulted in estimated savings in overall costs to the industry of £1 million a year.
	The fees are currently subject to review and consultation with interested parties. Consultation proposals include a mixture of increases, and decreases to existing fees, and take account of the industry's ability to pay.

Sharks: Conservation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to secure an international ban on shark finning;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to press for an international moratorium on shark hunting.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA is against the practice of finning sharks and discarding the bodies back into the sea. We are committed to reducing illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, where finning is thought to be practiced with resulting impacts on shark populations, by actively implementing the proposals of the High Seas Task Force in order to help identify and eliminate illegal fishing activity.
	Our aim is to achieve the sustainable use and conservation of shark species at national-level. We will also work to influence the European Commission, both at EU-level and beyond where the European Commission represents member states in fora such as Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO) and the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
	The European Commission intends to adopt a communication on an EU plan of action for the conservation and management of sharks in December 2008. I believe this will provide an opportunity for the European Community to take an ecosystem approach to the management and conservation of sharks in EU waters and internationally. I intend to work with DEFRA officials, the commission and other member states towards this.

Sustainable Development: Products

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which bodies his Department consulted during the development of the framework for the Energy-using Products Framework Directive;
	(2)  what plans he has to meet interested stakeholders in the three week consultation period following the consultation forum on the Energy-using Products Framework Directive held on 29 February.

Joan Ruddock: Following receipt, on 31 January, of the Commission's proposed implementing measure on boilers and water heaters under the Framework Directive on the Eco Design of Energy Using Products (EuP), the Market Transformation Programme (MTP) sent a copy of the proposals to a distribution list of several hundred stakeholders. These included any business or trade association that had previously expressed an interest in receiving information on developments on heating. The MTP asked for comments within three weeks to prepare a position for the Consultation Forum meeting on 29 February.
	DEFRA officials held a large stakeholder meeting on 4 February to discuss both the proposals in the consultation paper on domestic heating and to receive feedback from industry on the Commission's proposals on boilers and water heaters. In addition, officials have held a number of ad hoc meetings with key stakeholders from the boiler and water heater industry, (including a site visit to better understand the boiler supply chain) to discuss the implications of the proposals on boilers and water heaters for the UK.
	DEFRA officials will continue to engage with stakeholders on this issue following the consultation forum held on 29 February.

Sustainable Development: Products

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Energy-using Products Framework Directive does not disadvantage small and medium-sized manufacturers.

Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2877-8W to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh).

Sustainable Development: Products

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of the Energy-using Products Framework Directive on equipment currently installed in homes; and what estimate he has made of the number of room thermostats and programmers which will become redundant each year.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's Market Transformation Programme is currently assessing the full range of possible impacts of the implementation of the Energy Using Products Directive, based on the Commission's current proposals.
	DEFRA has not made any assessment of the number of room thermostats and programmers which become redundant each year. We estimate that around 1.5 million boilers are changed each year. The opportunity may be taken to replace some of the controls when a new boiler is installed, in which case the old controls may be considered redundant.

Trapping

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 49W, on trapping, what plans he has to commission research into alternatives to snaring.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA has previously funded research into the use of padded leg-cuffs and is currently funding research into the use of fertility control to manage over abundant wildlife. The Independent Snares Working Group highlighted the limited information on the humaneness of snares and DEFRA acknowledged this in its Snares Action Plan. DEFRA has, therefore, recently commissioned research to determine the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales.

Waste and Resources Action Programme: Finance

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Waste and Resources Action programme's budget was in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08; and what its budget will be in 2008-09.

Joan Ruddock: Total funding allocated to the Waste and Resources Action programme from DEFRA's funding streams for the years requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Year  Total (£) 
			 2005-06 71,605,000 
			 2006-07 65,505,000 
			 2007-08 61,818,300 
			 2008-09 43,223,000

Waste Disposal: Plastics

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the volume of waste plastics to be sent from the UK to China for processing in each of the next five years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect changes in the amount of UK plastics waste taken by China will have on the UK's performance in recycling.

Joan Ruddock: No such estimate has been made. Based on HM Revenue and Customs figures, it is estimated that in 2006 (the last year for which figures are available) the UK exported 441,000 tonnes of plastic. This figure will include recyclable materials collected from all sources including households, commerce and industry. However, records are not held of the destination country of exports of UK non-hazardous plastic waste for recycling.
	The Environment Agency has published a range of guidance on the international shipment of waste. This is available on its website.
	The UK currently recycles or recovers approximately 19 per cent. of all plastic consumed and this is set to increase to over 25 per cent. by 2010. In terms of processing capacity within the UK, according to studies carried out by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the indication is that the UK has, in fact, excess capacity to process plastic waste. Many plants are investing in new capacity or updating and consolidating existing plants, some with support from WRAP. WRAP also has a number of projects designed to maximise the amount and quality of recyclate, including plastics, used in UK manufacturing operations.

Waste Disposal: Plastics

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what alternatives exist to the disposal of UK waste plastics by China.

Joan Ruddock: It is illegal to export waste (including waste plastics) from the UK to other countries, such as China, for disposal, but it can be exported for reuse or recycling (recovery).
	The Environment Agency has published a range of guidance on the international shipment of waste, including guidance on the controls that apply to exports for recovery. This is available on its website.

Waste Management: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate was made of the proportion of households potentially liable for charges for the collection of household waste in  (a) the impact assessment produced by his Department and  (b) the research by Eunomia which informed his Department's policy.

Joan Ruddock: Powers announced in the Climate Change Bill will allow up to five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage waste minimisation and recycling.
	The decision to pilot a waste incentive scheme rests with the local authority. The local authority will also decide the boundaries of the pilot within its area and the Secretary of State will approve the five pilots. Therefore, we have made no assessment of the proportion of households potentially liable for charges under a waste incentive scheme.
	For modelling purposes, the impact assessment and the research by Eunomia consider the situation where 62 per cent. of households are covered by a scheme. However, this is not an estimate of how many households will in fact be covered at any point in the future.

Waste Management: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers he proposes for waste collection authorities seeking to levy charges for the collection of household waste to issue fines or penalties to individual households who do not pay the charges; and what maximum penalty or sanction is proposed.

Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 January 2008,  Official  Report, column 871W, and the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 11 March 2008,  Official  Report, column 222W.

Waste Management: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations his Department has received from the Environmental Services Association on  (a) new charges for the collection of household waste and  (b) fortnightly rubbish collections in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: The Environmental Services Association responded to the consultation on incentives for household waste minimisation and recycling. All individual consultation responses are publicly available from the DEFRA information resource centre.

Waste Management: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers local authorities have to charge for the compulsory provision of wheelie bins.

Joan Ruddock: The provisions relating to local authorities' powers to charge for the receptacles for household waste are set out in section 46(3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
	Section 46(3) states:
	"In making requirements under subsection (1) above the authority may, as respects the provision of the receptacles—
	(a) determine that they be provided by the authority free of charge;
	(b) propose that they be provided, if the occupier agrees, by the authority on payment by him of such single payment or such periodical payments as he agrees with the authority;
	(c) require the occupier to provide them if he does not enter into an agreement under paragraph (b) above within a specified period; or
	(d) require the occupier to provide them."

Waste Management: Prisons

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what obligations waste collection authorities have to provide free disposal of waste from prisons.

Joan Ruddock: There is no duty on a waste collection authority to dispose of any waste. Waste disposal authorities are required by section 51(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (ERA) to dispose of waste collected by waste collection authorities.
	Under paragraph 16 of schedule 2 of the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992 (CWR) waste from prisons or other penal institutions is classified as household waste. However, like all other 'schedule 2' wastes the duty to collect only begins when the authority is asked to collect the waste and it can charge to cover the cost of collection.
	A local authority cannot charge for disposal of household waste regardless of the source.

Waste Management: Standards

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to introduce an accreditation scheme to ensure adequate environmental standards in waste treatment facilities.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 17 March 2008
	DEFRA has no plans to introduce such an accreditation scheme.
	Most waste treatment facilities are already required to operate in accordance with a permit, issued by the Environment Agency, designed to ensure high levels of environmental protection. In addition, only people who are 'fit and proper persons' are authorised to operate waste facilities and managers must be able to demonstrate that they are technically competent. Facilities are inspected by the Environment Agency in a manner that takes account of the risk the site presents and the performance of the operator. Inspection also takes account of accreditation under environmental management systems.
	From 6 April this year, waste treatment facilities will be permitted under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. This is a new modern permitting system which brings all regulated waste activities under a single, consistent and risk based permitting and compliance regime.

PRIME MINISTER

Military Bases

Liam Fox: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  which UK military bases and installations he has visited since June 2007; and what the  (a) date and  (b) purpose was of each such visit;
	(2)  how many times he has visited the military managed ward at Selly Oak Hospital since it was established.

Gordon Brown: I have visited members of the armed forces both in the United Kingdom and abroad, and have met injured personnel on these occasions. Visits to injured personnel and to hospitals are undertaken privately.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Grassroots Grants Programme

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the grassroots grants programme.

Phil Hope: Grassroots Grants will enable the smallest, volunteer-led organisations to thrive and direct their energies to the particular challenges they see in their local community. Grassroots Grants is a ground-breaking £130 million programme, combining an £80 million small grants fund—which will run for three years—with a £50 million endowment, which will mean a sustainable source of small grants for years to come.

Third Sector Organisations

David Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the role of the third sector in delivering public services.

Edward Miliband: Third sector organisations have the potential to play an important role in the design, development and delivery of public services. This is reflected in our recent reforms in offender management, employment and health and social care. However, the third sector should never be an excuse for cutting Government funding to public services.

Post Office Closures

David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Social Exclusion Task Force has assessed the likely effect of post office closures on levels of social inclusion.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes (Mr. Lancaster) and the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory).

Olympic Games

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the allocation of funding for the Olympic Games on the funding of the voluntary sector.

Phil Hope: The Olympics will bring important benefits and the Big Lottery Fund has introduced important safeguards to protect the amount of funding available to voluntary sector organisations.
	The fund has ensured that no existing lottery projects will be affected and that the original estimated £2 billion over the next five years will continue to be available for the third sector.

Child Poverty

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what work the Social Exclusion Task Force has conducted on the level of child poverty.

Phil Hope: The Government has succeeded in arresting and reversing the long-term trend of rising child poverty. Compared to 1998 there are 600,000 fewer children living in relative poverty and 1.8 million fewer living in absolute poverty. The joint DWP/DCSF Child Poverty Unit takes responsibility for analysis of child poverty trends across Government. The Social Exclusion Taskforce is conducting complementary research focused upon the experience of multiple disadvantage by children and their families.

Social Exclusion

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on the creation of a national assessment centre for early intervention policies to tackle social exclusion; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: Early intervention is a key principle being championed by the Social Exclusion Taskforce and we continue to work with partners across Whitehall, including the Department for Children, Schools and Families as well as outside organisations, in identifying and testing innovative approaches to preventing social exclusion.

Charities Act 2006

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will revise the implementation plan for the Charities Act 2006.

Phil Hope: The Charities Act 2006 implementation plan is published on the website of the Office of the Third Sector. It was last updated in November 2007, and is due to be updated again in April 2008. The website itself is updated more frequently, and stakeholders can stay in touch with developments by subscribing to an e-mail update service.

Charity Commission: Appeals

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects the Charity Tribunal to be operational; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Charity Tribunal was brought into force on 18 March 2008, by The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2008 (SI 2008 No. 751 (C.32)). It is operational from that date.

Voluntary Work

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Government have taken to ensure high performing voluntary services are recognised for their contribution to the community.

Phil Hope: The Government recognise high performing voluntary services for their contribution to the community through the Queens Award for Voluntary Service. The Queens Award is unique by being the only Award of this kind in the UK honours system and is equivalent to an MBE.
	To date there have been nearly 600 of these prestigious Awards given to groups of volunteers in the UK who all agree that this not only means reward for their hard work but recognition and standing in the local community.

Voluntary Work

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent steps the Government have taken to encourage people to volunteer.

Phil Hope: Over the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review period the Government will be investing over £137 million in programmes to encourage people to volunteer, such as the national youth charity v, Goldstar, Volunteering for All, and strategic funding to organisations such as Volunteering England and the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation.
	The Government recently announced plans to invest £4 million in new training programmes for volunteers, and £2 million to create a new access to volunteering fund for disabled people, in response to recommendations by the Commission on the Future of Volunteering.
	The Office of the Third Sector is also working across Government to reduce the barriers that prevent people from volunteering by, for example, working with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure benefit claimants can also volunteer.

Voluntary Work: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Government have taken to consult the third sector on decisions on relevant Government funding changes.

Phil Hope: The Government are committed to the principles set out in the Compact.
	The Compact Code on Funding and Procurement sets out that Government undertake to give enough notice of the end of grants or contracts. This should be a minimum of three months. The Code also sets out that the Government undertake to implement longer term funding arrangements where these represent good value for money and to provide whenever possible an opportunity for the voluntary and community sector to contribute to programme design.
	The Office of the Third Sector's plans are set out in the final report of the third sector review The Future Role of the Third Sector in Social and Economic Regeneration: Final Report (Cm 7189), published in July 2007. This report followed extensive consultation with the third sector, with 93 open consultation events held, reaching over 1,000 organisations and over 250 written responses received.
	The new local government performance framework embeds the role of the third sector in local decision-making. The third sector is an essential partner in local strategic partnerships and as such takes part in decisions about priorities to be funded through the local area agreement.
	The framework also includes the duty to involve. This means that local authorities consider, as a matter of course, the consultation and involvement opportunities they will need to provide and that they take action to engage with the full diversity of groups in their area, including consideration of what support might be needed for these groups to be involved.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide further  (a) training and  (b) guidance for relevant healthcare professionals on the identification and management of alcohol abuse.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has funded the production of guidance to support the effective delivery of high quality training on substance misuse, including alcohol, within undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom. "Substance Misuse in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum" was developed with the involvement of all of the UK medical schools, was overseen by an expert steering group and published by the International Centre for Drug Policy in April 2007.
	The Foundation programme, which describes the syllabus and competencies for junior doctors to understand the effects of alcohol on health and psychological wellbeing of the patient and family members, the effects of alcohol on pregnancy, to know about local support groups or agencies and to demonstrate competence in taking alcohol histories and advising on safer drinking levels or drinking cessation. The Department is currently involved in the development of new learning resources across all aspects of the Foundation programme including this one.
	The Government have invested £3.2 million to commission a two year trailblazer research project on the identification and management of alcohol abuse. The outputs will include guidance on the most effective screening tools and revised support materials for healthcare professionals as well as those in criminal justice settings.
	The Department is developing a web-based e-learning module which will train health professionals in the routine identification of alcohol misuse and how to advise patients on reducing their drinking or, if necessary, refer them to appropriate specialist treatment. The module will be available to clinicians across the entire national health service by the summer and will subsequently be made available to other health and social care professionals.

Arthritis: Drugs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 845W, on arthritis: drugs, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the trend since 2004 in  (a) the number of prescription items dispensed in the community and  (b) the net ingredient cost of prescription items dispensed in the community.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 28 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1883W.

Barking Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust: Finance

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the expected financial balance of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust for 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: At Q3, Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust is forecasting a £39.9 million deficit for the 2007-08 financial year.
	The trust is in the process of developing its plan for financial turnaround. London strategic health authority is confident the trust will be able to demonstrate its longer term viability and expects to return to a modest surplus by 2009-10.

Cancer: Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health over what period of time the use of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approved cancer drugs will be assessed as part of the National Cancer Director's evaluation.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Cancer Director's evaluation of the use of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approved cancer drugs will assess the period July-December 2007.

Departmental Internet

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will  (a) follow the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) guidelines and  (b) display ICRA's label on the websites for which it is responsible.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department of Health is committed to promoting safe use of the Internet and recognises Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) guidelines as a key tool for protecting citizens and children from accessing inappropriate material online.
	The Department's corporate website (www.dh.gov.uk) follows the 2000 ICRA guidelines.
	The Department's website has displayed ICRA ratings on all its content since February 2004 and applying an ICRA value is a mandatory part of the Department's content publishing process.
	The Department is also responsible for NHS Choices, a number of sub domain and campaign sites. NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) supports ICRA and is working on the use of the guidelines across its content. The remainder of the smaller sites do not carry ICRA ratings. However, they do display content description metadata, which most search engines use to filter out inappropriate material.
	The Central Office of Information is currently preparing a new set of guidance for many aspects of the Government's Web estate including safety online for users. When that is issued, the Department will implement what they mandate.

Drugs: Lancashire

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency were being treated for drug addiction at the latest date for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) does not provide published numbers of individuals in contact with structured drug treatment, hereafter referred to as treatment numbers, based on constituency boundaries.
	Run in partnership with Manchester University, the NTA's National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) does provide treatment numbers at local drug action team partnership level for the 149 Drug Action Teams (DATs) in England. Each DAT area corresponds with a local authority area.
	The most recent treatment numbers for Lancashire DAT are provided as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Numbers in treatment(1) 3,652 
			 Numbers in treatment: year to date(2) 4,919 
			 (1) Number of drug users in treatment in January 2008 (the most recent month for which figures are available). (2) Total numbers in treatment at end of January 2008 for the financial year 2007-08 .  Source: www.ndtms.net

Hay Fever

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the number of (i) males and (ii) females diagnosed with hay fever; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department commissioned a review of the data and research available on the epidemiology of allergic conditions as part of a Review of Services for Allergy. The review found that epidemiological studies suggest that hay fever is present in approximately 10 per cent., of the general population but did not separately identify the proportion of male and female sufferers.

Headaches

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent research on assessment of headache disorders he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated; and what plans he has to commission further such research;
	(2)  if he will increase public research funding for headache disorder medicine; if he will take steps to improve patient access to headache care and services; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department funds national health service research and development through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Institute's research programmes support high quality research of relevance and in areas of high priority to patients and the NHS. That research currently includes a pragmatic, randomised trial into the use of acupuncture for migraine and headache in primary care; and a randomised placebo controlled trial of propranolol and Pizotifen in preventing migraine in children.
	The NIHR funded University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre is also undertaking research on headache and pain. A five-year budget of £3.7 million has been allocated to this work.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government supports medical and clinical research. The MRC, an independent body, receives its grant-in-aid from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The MRC is currently funding a research fellowship relating to familial hemiplegic migraine and has previously funded a prospective study of patients with headache in primary care which aimed to provide evidence about the accuracy of diagnosis, the prognosis, reasons for referral, and the economic costs for patients and society.
	A range of pharmacological interventions are available to prevent the occurrence of headaches, and to relieve the pain of attacks. It is the responsibility of health professionals to consider what treatment is the most appropriate for their patients, in consultation with the patient and informed by their medical history.
	The provision of services to meet the needs of those living with migraine and headaches is specifically covered by the "National Service Framework (NSF) for Long-term Conditions". The NSF has a 10-year implementation programme from its publication in March 2005, with flexibility for organisations to set the pace of change locally to take account of local priorities and needs. A copy of the NSF is available in the Library.

Health Services: Finance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for the Diagnostics programme in each of the next five financial years; how much of this budget has been allocated, broken down by project; and how much of this budget has been contracted, broken down by contract.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The Department does not have a central diagnostics programme budget.
	The 18 weeks programme has a diagnostics workstream, focused on supporting front-line staff in reducing long waits for diagnostics to enable delivery of 18 weeks. More detailed information about the diagnostics workstream can be found on the 18 weeks website at:
	www.18weeks.nhs.uk/Content.aspx?path=/achieve-and-sustain/Diagnostics
	This workstream is funded from the 18 week programme budget. The provisional budget allocation for 2008-09 is estimated at £1.4 million. As 18 weeks will be delivered this year, there is no budget allocated after March 2009.

Health Services: Prisons

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what benchmarks have been established to assess the fitness of private contractors to undertake work in prison health care departments; what penalties apply to contractors who fail to meet their contractual obligations; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he has taken to maintain the quality of care in prison health care departments run by private companies; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what measures are in place to ensure that employees of health care departments in the prison service do not lose benefits as a result of the transfer of undertakings to private contractors; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not directly regulate or monitor private companies' involvement in specific local services.
	It is for primary care trusts (PCTs), the local leaders of the national health service, to commission an appropriate range of high quality health care services to meet the needs of their population. For prison health services, as with other health services, PCTs may decide to procure alternatives from other NHS organisations or from the private sector or the third sector. Strategic health authorities ensure that PCTs carry out their commissioning role effectively, and in line with the principles and rules for competition established by the Department.
	The Healthcare Commission is responsible for regulating independent sector providers and assessing and inspecting NHS providers. In prisons and places of detention, the Healthcare Commission works together with HM Inspectorate of Prisons to inspect health services, under a memorandum of understanding. For contracted out services, PCTs remain responsible for maintaining NHS standards of care, and the Healthcare Commission inspects and reviews PCTs against the standards of health care in those prisons for which they are responsible.
	For individuals whose contracts of employment move from the prison service to private contractors, Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations apply, under which employees' existing terms and conditions are protected.

Health Trainers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2383W, on health trainers, how much was allocated to each spearhead primary care trust in 2006-07 from the choosing health budget to pay for health trainers;
	(2)  how much was allocated to each primary care trust in 2007-08 from the choosing health budget to pay for health trainers.

Ben Bradshaw: Revenue allocations to primary care trust (PCTs) separately identified £211 million in 2006-07 and £342 million in 2007-08 to support various choosing health programmes, including £36 million in 2006-07 and £77 million in 2007-08 for health trainers. The total funding was identified for each PCT, but not the funding for each programme. This is shown in the following table, alongside which PCTs are in the spearhead group.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT (spearhead) 2,167 2,611 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT (spearhead) 1,303 1,570 
			 Barnet PCT 1,024 2,032 
			 Barnsley PCT (spearhead) 1,726 2,081 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 356 707 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 533 1,056 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 834 2,006 
			 Berkshire East PCT 778 1,857 
			 Berkshire West PCT 1,248 2,474 
			 Bexley Care Trust 669 1,327 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT (spearhead) 2,498 3,098 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT (spearhead) 1,110 1,337 
			 Blackpool PCT (spearhead) 1,096 1,320 
			 Bolton PCT (spearhead) 1,870 2,254 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 1,082 2,142 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT (spearhead) 3,398 4,096 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 712 1,696 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 643 1,535 
			 Bristol PCT 1,351 2,675 
			 Bromley PCT 930 1,846 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 1,371 2,718 
			 Bury PCT (spearhead) 1,196 1,440 
			 Calderdale PCT 641 1,269 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 1,630 3,239 
			 Camden PCT 631 1,516 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 946 2,266 
			 Central Lancashire PCT (spearhead) 1,866 3,034 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT (spearhead) 2,030 2,447 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly PCT 1,228 2,948 
			 County Durham PCT (spearhead) 3,193 3,960 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT (spearhead) 1,962 2,432 
			 Croydon PCT 1,072 2,125 
			 Cumbria PCT (spearhead) 2,822 3,753 
			 Darlington PCT 235 562 
			 Derby City PCT 886 1,757 
			 Derbyshire County PCT (spearhead) 2,751 4,621 
			 Devon PCT 2,285 4,543 
			 Doncaster PCT (spearhead) 2,113 2,546 
			 Dorset PCT 1,230 2,443 
			 Dudley PCT 978 1,937 
			 Ealing PCT 1,078 2,133 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 1,615 3,208 
			 East Lancashire PCT (spearhead) 2,625 3,162 
			 East Riding Of Yorkshire PCT 646 1,553 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 749 1,794 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 1,804 4,197 
			 Enfield PCT 645 1,543 
			 Gateshead PCT (spearhead) 1,486 1,789 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 1,729 3,433 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 683 1,458 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT (spearhead) 1,740 2,098 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT (spearhead) 2,282 2,749 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT (spearhead) 1,276 1,537 
			 Hampshire PCT 2,865 6,431 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT (spearhead) 1,505 1,865 
			 Harrow PCT 434 1,037 
			 Hartlepool PCT (spearhead) 700 843 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 629 1,249 
			 Havering PCT 787 1,560 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT (spearhead) 1,890 2,345 
			 Herefordshire PCT 556 1,105 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT (spearhead) 1,515 1,825 
			 Hillingdon PCT 767 1,522 
			 Hounslow PCT 737 1,459 
			 Hull PCT (spearhead) 1,615 2,000 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 502 999 
			 Islington PCT (spearhead) 1,347 1,672 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 664 1,327 
			 Kingston PCT 477 947 
			 Kirklees PCT 1,249 2,475 
			 Knowsley PCT (spearhead) 1,318 1,587 
			 Lambeth PCT (spearhead) 1,812 2,246 
			 Leeds PCT 1,687 4,028 
			 Leicester City PCT (spearhead) 2,079 2,504 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 1,773 3,524 
			 Lewisham PCT (spearhead) 1,558 1,931 
			 Lincolnshire PCT (spearhead) 2,944 4,759 
			 Liverpool PCT (spearhead) 3,345 4,146 
			 Luton PCT 432 1,033 
			 Manchester PCT (spearhead) 3,988 4,805 
			 Medway PCT 834 1,661 
			 Mid Essex PCT 983 1,956 
			 Middlesbrough PCT (Spearhead^ 1,105 1,330 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 677 1,351 
			 Newcastle PCT (spearhead) 1,948 2,345 
			 Newham PCT (spearhead) 2,211 2,665 
			 Norfolk PCT 1,598 3,835 
			 North East Essex PCT 1,036 2,060 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT (spearhead) 1,081 1,302 
			 North Lancashire PCT 1,522 2,340 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 505 1,003 
			 North Somerset PCT 617 1,227 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 466 1,114 
			 North Tees PCT (spearhead) 1,235 1,489 
			 North Tyneside PCT (spearhead) 1,408 1,696 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 2,011 4,224 
			 Northamptonshire PCT (spearhead) 2,900 4,345 
			 Northumberland Care Trust (spearhead) 2,046 2,465 
			 Nottingham City PCT (spearhead) 1,741 2,158 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 1,714 3,691 
			 Oldham PCT (spearhead) 1,618 1,949 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 1,717 3,414 
			 Peterborough PCT 544 1,090 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 826 1,638 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 428 1,022 
			 Redbridge PCT 751 1,489 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT (spearhead) 979 1,179 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 510 1,013 
			 Rotherham PCT (spearhead) 1,723 2,076 
			 Salford PCT (spearhead) 1,761 2,120 
			 Sandwell PCT (spearhead) 2,258 2,718 
			 Sefton PCT 817 1,790 
			 Sheffield PCT 1,272 3,035 
			 Shropshire County PCT 870 1,728 
			 Solihull Care Trust 439 1,049 
			 Somerset PCT 1,604 3,190 
			 South Birmingham PCT (spearhead) 2,057 2,551 
			 South East Essex PCT 747 1,790 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 657 1,307 
			 South Staffordshire PCT (spearhead) 2,160 3,609 
			 South Tyneside PCT (spearhead) 1,173 1,413 
			 South West Essex PCT 1,276 2,536 
			 Southampton City PCT 787 1,560 
			 Southwark PCT (spearhead) 1,697 2,103 
			 Stockport PCT 901 1,783 
			 Stoke On Trent PCT (spearhead) 1,594 1,975 
			 Suffolk PCT 1,759 3,495 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT (spearhead) 2,117 2,549 
			 Surrey PCT 3,032 6,011 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 1,131 2,244 
			 Swindon PCT 578 1,147 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT (spearhead) 1,598 1,925 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 514 1,022 
			 Torbay Care Trust 509 1,012 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT (spearhead) 1,925 2,321 
			 Trafford PCT 696 1,378 
			 Wakefield District PCT (spearhead) 2,350 2,833 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT (spearhead) 1,780 2,144 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 824 1,631 
			 Wandsworth PCT 897 1,775 
			 Warrington PCT (spearhead) 1,221 1,471 
			 Warwickshire PCT (spearhead) 2,147 3,373 
			 West Essex PCT 802 1,592 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 1,579 3,130 
			 West Kent PCT 1,928 3,825 
			 West Sussex PCT 2,295 4,660 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 558 1,336 
			 Westminster PCT 832 1,665 
			 Wiltshire PCT 1,279 2,543 
			 Wirral PCT (spearhead) 2,007 2,490 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT (spearhead) 1,769 2,130 
			 Worcestershire PCT 1,643 3,263 
			
			 England 210,500 341,500

Hearing Impaired

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision is made for deaf people to access services provided by his Department through call centres.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has a single public facing call centre. This has a textphone and accepts calls made using Typetalk.

Horton Hospital: NHS Treatment Centres

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the residual value guarantee is in respect of the independent sector treatment centre at Horton hospital in Banbury.

Ben Bradshaw: The residual value guarantee in relation to the Norton NHS Treatment Centre (GC4 North Oxford), procured through Wave 1 of the independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme, is £15.1 million. The contract runs until 31 December 2010. The assets at Horton to be acquired upon payment of the residual value include the ISTC building.
	All ISTC contracts have been through a robust procurement and approvals process, with value for money being one of the criteria.

Hospital Beds

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) targets and  (b) guidelines have been set for trusts to deal with delayed discharge; and what penalty is paid by trusts for delayed discharge of (i) patients with mental health problems and (ii) other patients.

Ivan Lewis: The 'NHS Plan: A plan for investment—a plan for reform' (Cm 48 18-1) contained the commitment to reduce widespread delayed discharges by 2004. Councils and their national health service partners have made significant progress in reducing delays in hospital. Between September 2001 and December 2007 the number of people over the age of 75 delayed in hospital reduced from 5,673 to 1,594, a reduction of 72 per cent. and total delays for the same period were reduced from 7,065 to 2,090, a reduction of 70 per cent. A copy of the NHS Plan is available in the Library.
	Guidance on the implementation of the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc) Act 2003, including the definition of, and procedures for notifying, delayed discharges was issued on 24 September 2003 as HSC 2003/009 and LAC (2003) 21. This guidance is still current and has not been amended.
	NHS trusts to do not pay penalties for delayed discharges.

Hospitals: Parking

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislative proposals to end the practice of charging fees to patients with blue disability badges at hospital car parks in England.

Ben Bradshaw: Charging for car parking is a matter for individual national health service bodies. If they did not charge for car parking then funds for the maintenance and operation of the car park would have to be diverted from patient services. The Department has issued guidance advising NHS bodies to consider the needs of disabled users when planning their car parks and to offer concessions or free parking to those who have to use their car parks regularly, which may include some blue disability badge holders. We have no plans to change these arrangements.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the average waiting time for an operation in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The average (median) waiting time for inpatient admission at the end of January 2008 was 4.7 weeks.

Hypertension: Drugs

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the cost-effectiveness of pulmonary arterial hypertension drugs is determined; and what assessments were made by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of potential quality of life improvements offered by such drugs.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) draws on a number of different sources of information to appraise the clinical and cost-effectiveness of drugs assessed through its multiple technology appraisals (MTA) process. The different sources of information are set out in more detail in NICE'S 'Guide to the methods of technology appraisal' which can be found at:
	www.nice.org.uk/niceMedia/pdf/TAP_Methods.pdf.
	NICE'S appraisal of drugs for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension is currently out for consultation and the appraisal consultation document sets out in detail the evidence for NICE'S draft recommendations.

NHS: Email

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff registered for NHS mail in each month since its inception; and how many were active users in each month.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			   Total active users  Monthly registered accounts 
			 31 December 2004 37,810 (1)— 
			 31 January 2005 46,537 8,727 
			 28 February 2005 47,673 1,136 
			 31 March 2005 55,213 7,540 
			 30 April 2005 58,482 3,269 
			 31 May 2005 59,677 1,195 
			 30 June 2005 61,115 1,438 
			 31 July 2005 62,597 1,482 
			 31 August 2005 65,136 2,539 
			 30 September 2005 67,722 2,586 
			 31 October 2005 70,043 2,321 
			 30 November 2005 72,105 2,062 
			 31 December 2005 72,923 818 
			 31 January 2006 75,581 2,658 
			 28 February 2006 77,973 2,392 
			 31 March 2006 80,183 2,210 
			 30 April 2006 80,754 571 
			 31 May 2006 83,788 3,034 
			 30 June 2006 89,786 5,998 
			 31 July 2006 93,871 4,085 
			 31 August 2006 96,900 3,029 
			 30 September 2006 99,343 2,443 
			 31 October 2006 101,850 2,507 
			 30 November 2006 104,503 2,653 
			 31 December 2006 104,594 91 
			 31 January 2007 106,791 2,197 
			 28 February 2007 109,548 2,757 
			 31 March 2007 113,160 3,612 
			 30 April 2007 115,266 2,106 
			 31 May 2007 118,223 2,957 
			 30 June 2007 122,003 3,780 
			 31 July 2007 126,115 4,112 
			 31 August 2007 130,738 4,623 
			 30 September 2007 133,646 2,908 
			 31 October 2007 137,930 4,284 
			 30 November 2007 142,313 4,383 
			 31 December 2007 143,068 755 
			 31 January 2008 146,711 3,643 
			 29 February 2008 153,073 6,362 
			 (1) The number of users registering for the service each month is a calculation based on: (current month active users) minus (last month active users).

Palliative Care: South Yorkshire

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on supportive and palliative care has been implemented in Barnsley East and Mexborough constituency.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including Barnsley PCT, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care, based on assessments of local needs and priorities. The NHS has been required to set out action plans to achieve compliance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations on supportive and palliative care. Implementation is being monitored by strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	Information on the rate of progress locally can be obtained through the Yorkshire and the Humber SHA.

Prescription Drugs: Side Effects

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people have been admitted to hospital due to adverse reactions to prescription drugs in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many deaths were due to adverse reactions to prescription drugs in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many recorded incidents of adverse reactions to prescription drugs there were in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme; the Yellow Card Scheme. Approximately 20,000 reports of ADRs are reported to the MHRA/CHM through this scheme each year. The scheme collects ADR reports from across the whole United Kingdom and includes all medicines, including those from prescriptions, over-the-counter or general retail sales. Reports are also received for herbal medicines and other unlicensed medicines.
	The following table shows the number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 1997 and 2007 which had a fatal outcome and resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation.
	
		
			  Year received by MHRA  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received with a fatal outcome  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received which resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation 
			 1997 16,627 447 2,484 
			 1998 18,048 520 2,972 
			 1999 18,484 564 3,212 
			 2000 33,151 632 4,062 
			 2001 21,456 647 3,015 
			 2002 17,610 669 3,630 
			 2003 19,216 735 4,381 
			 2004 19,979 861 4,429 
			 2005 21,856 1,018 4,577 
			 2006 21,511 953 4,628 
			 2007 21,600 1,031 4,545 
		
	
	The number of ADRs stated are subject to change due to the dynamic nature of the MHRA's database. For example duplicate reports may be identified that are subsequently merged into one report.
	It is not possible to estimate from the Yellow Card scheme the exact number of people who suffer adverse reactions to drugs since the scheme is associated with an unknown level of under-reporting.
	Addressing the impact of ADRs on public health is a key concern for the MHRA. A study funded by the MHRA and published in the  British Medical Journal on 2 July 2004, was conducted in two large hospitals in Merseyside in order to ascertain the current burden of ADRs in the national health service. The results of the study showed that 6.5 per cent. of hospital admission related to an ADR.

Prescriptions: Packaging

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make representations to the pharmaceutical industry to seek a reduction in the amount of packaging for prescriptions; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Many medicines are supplied in manufacturers' original packs to enable the efficient supply of the patient information leaflet which contains important information for the patient on the safe and effective use of the medicine. A constraint is placed on manufacturers not to use excessive packaging through the Packaging Waste Directive administered by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. This has both single market and environmental goals and new targets on recycling and recovery were established in 2004. Recycled materials are already being used for outer or secondary packaging such as cartons and the cartons themselves can be recycled once the patient has completed their course of medicine.

Royal Lancaster Infirmary

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received medical treatment at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary in 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. Information relating to Royal Lancaster Infirmary can only be collected at trust level, therefore, the information for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust has been set out in the following table.
	Medical treatment has been defined in terms of in-patient admissions where treatment was provided and outpatient as the number of first attendances.
	Total number of inpatient admissions with a procedure/intervention and the number of out-patient first attendances at University Hospitals Morecambe Bay NHS Trust for 2006-07.
	
		
			  2006-07 
			   Number 
			 Count of out-patient first attendances 144,301 
			 Count of finished admission episodes with a procedure/intervention. 44,211 
			  Notes: 1. First attendance This indicates whether a patient is making a first attendance or a follow up attendance and whether the consultation was face-to-face or via telephone/telemedicine consultation. Out-patient data would only count a patient's first attendance regardless of the number of subsequent attendances in relation to the same subject. In many out-patient attendances, a patient may be receiving advice, rather than any medical treatment as such. Additionally, the number of out-patient first attendances does not represent the number of patients receiving out-patient care, as a patient may attend more than one first out-patient appointment in the year. 2. Finished admission episodes (FAE) A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 3. Accident and Emergency (A and E) People may also have received medical treatment in A and E, however HES does not have this data.  4. HES data quality HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 5. Out-patient data quality Out-patient HES data were collected for the first time in 2003-04. It is not mandatory to code procedures on outpatient records and therefore only around 2 per cent. of records have completed clinical codes. We have no reliable existing data source to validate this data against, as the Department's aggregate returns data has never collected clinical codes, and therefore it is not clear how representative it is. 6. Appointment count This provides a count of the number of planned/booked appointments for out-patients. 7. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed).  Sources: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES); Out-patients, The Information Centre for health and social care.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Big Lottery Fund: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many organisations in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London borough of Bexley (i) applied for and (ii) received funds from each different funding programme from the Big Lottery Fund since its creation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There have been 47 applications from applicants within the constituency of Bexleyheath and Crayford; of these, 17 received awards, 14 were rejected and 16 applications are currently in assessment.
	There have been 328 applications from applicants within the London borough of Bexley; of these, 70 received awards, 206 were rejected and 52 applications are currently in assessment.
	The figures relate to the period following The Big Lottery Fund's inception (1 June 2004). The figures do not include Awards for All.

Culture: West Midlands

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which  (a) regional central government organisations,  (b) local government organisations and  (c) regional offices of non-departmental public bodies in the west midlands include cultural policy within their responsibilities.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 18 March 2008
	Those organisations in the west midlands which include cultural policy within their responsibilities are as follows:
	 (a) Regional central government organisation
	The Government office for the west midlands
	 (b) Local government organisations
	We do not hold any information on local government organisations in the west midlands whose remit includes cultural policy.
	 (c) Regional office of a non-departmental public body (NDPB)
	Arts Council England
	Culture West Midlands
	Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
	National Heritage Memorial Fund
	English Heritage
	Sport England
	Advantage West Midlands (AWM) does not have a direct cultural remit as such, but it does have tourism responsibility, while culture makes a significant contribution to economic development and regeneration. AWM is a NDPB of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	In addition to these NDPBs, the following are active in the region:
	Big Lottery Fund
	Screen West Midlands
	Tourism West Midlands
	The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
	The Nations and Regions Group

Departmental Marketing

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public funding has been spent on campaigns against  (a) racism and  (b) homophobia in sport since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS channels its funding for sport though its non-departmental public bodies Sport England and UK Sport.
	Sport England and UK Sport have not directly funded any campaigns designed to combat racism and homophobia.
	However, in the current financial year (2007-08) Sport England provided a grant of £317,066 to Sporting Equals, which champions race equality in sport, as well as funding the Football Foundation, the UK's largest sports charity, which supports anti-racism campaigns in football like 'Kick it Out' and 'Show Racism the Red Card'.
	Both Sport England and UK Sport are working in partnership with SportScotland and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland to commission a research project into barriers to participation and the number of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual participants in sport. A total of £25,000 has been invested by partners in the research and producing a guidance resource for governing bodies.

Departmental Official Cars

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what make and model of car  (a) he and  (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were applied when making the decision in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) gave to him on 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 8W.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertaining in the last 12 month period for which information is available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Expenditure on official hospitality is made in accordance with principles of government accounting and Treasury handbook on regularity and propriety, as well as the Department's internal guidance on hospitality.
	The Department's expenditure on hospitality in the last 12 months (to January 2008) was £82,690.
	Similar expenditure by the Department's agency, The Royal Parks, was £30,228. An analysis of expenditure by the categories requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by Senior Civil Service staff in his Department and its agencies in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The reimbursable expenses claimed by senior civil service staff in the last 12 months to January 2008 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 DCMS 22,383.97 
			 The Royal Parks Agency 99.97 
		
	
	The expenses were reimbursed in accordance with the civil service management code and the Department's guidance on travel and subsistence.

Departmental Property

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the sums to be paid by his Department in unoccupied property rates in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has estimated the amount paid in unoccupied property rates to be £27,936 in 2007-08.
	The Department does not expect to pay any unoccupied property rates in 2008-09.

North West Cultural Consortium

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the membership of the North West Cultural Consortium is; and what criteria were used to determine the Consortium's membership.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Culture Northwest is a company limited by guarantee and a non-departmental public body.
	The directors are recruited through an open advertisement process—Nolan Principles are applied and there is an agreed specification for board members.
	Individuals are also appointed as company members to represent key organisations such as regional cultural agencies. Company members may attend and vote at annual general meetings of the company. A list of current company members is as follows.
	Culture Northwest also works with 100 formal stakeholders from across the cultural sector, representing a wide range of interests.
	 Board members:
	Loyd Grossman O.B.E., F.S.A. (Chair): Entrepreneur and Broadcaster
	Charles Lauder (Deputy Chair): Joint Director of Talawa Consulting and Talawa Film and Television
	Amy de Joia: Executive Director of Development and Communications, National Museums Liverpool
	Andrew Spinoza: Managing Director, SKV PR
	Andy Farrall: Strategic Director Environment and Regeneration, Warrington Borough Council
	Beatrice Fraenkel: Chair, RENEW North West
	Bryan Gray M.B.E.: Chairman, North West Regional Development Agency and Liverpool Culture Company
	Cecilia Wong: Executive Director, Centre for Urban Policy Studies, University of Manchester
	Kate Willard: Consultant
	Libby Raper: Chief Executive, Culture Northwest
	Marc Etches: Director, Insight
	Nadine Andrews: Freelance Consultant
	Peter Fell: Director of Regional and Economic Affairs, University of Manchester
	Sir Philip Craven, M.B.E.: President, International Paralympic Committee
	Sue Woodward: Managing Director, ITV Granada
	 Company members:
	Alex Poots: Manchester International Festival
	Alice Morrison: NW Vision and Media
	Clare Connor: MLA NW
	Culture Company: representative to be confirmed
	David Fleming: National Museums Liverpool
	Fran Toms: Manchester City Council
	Henry Owen-John: English Heritage
	John Devine: NW Churches Association
	Lesa Dryburgh: NW Clore Fellow
	Michael Eakin: Arts Council England NW
	Michelle McNamee: Big Lottery Fund
	Peter Mearns: North West Regional Development Agency
	Rodney Hill: Wigan Culture and Leisure Trust, representing Chief Culture and Leisure Groups
	Rt Rev Stephen Lowe: Bishop of Liverpool, representing Faith in regeneration
	Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport: represented by Janet Matthewman, Government Office for the North West
	Simon Crawshaw: North West Regional Assembly
	Stewart Kellett: Sport England NW
	Tiffany Hunt: National Trust

Sports: Children

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how long on average was spent on sport and physical activity per week by children aged five to 16 years in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The 2006-07 School Sport Survey showed that 86 per cent. of pupils aged five to 16 in maintained schools in England now participate in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week, exceeding the 2008 target of 85 per cent. a year early.
	In previous years the survey demonstrated that 62 per cent. of school children achieved this target in 2003-04; 69 per cent. in 2004-05 and 80 per cent. in 2005-06. No data are available prior to commencement of the strategy in 2003.
	DCMS and DCSF continue to work closely through the new PE and Sport Strategy for Young People to offer all children and young people, aged five to 16 years, five hours of sport a week from April 2008.

Sports: Per Capita Costs

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the spend per capita was of  (a) public funding and  (b) Lottery funding for sport in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Using information from the Office for National Statistics website, the estimated population of England in each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  Population, England 
			   Million 
			 Mid-2005 50.432 
			 Mid-2006 50.763 
			 Mid-2007 51.017 
		
	
	Based on the aforementioned information, the following tables show spend on sport per capita in England for the last three years from:
	
		
			  (a) Public funding 
			  Financial year  Spend per capita (£) 
			 2005-06 5.44 
			 2006-07 7.48 
			 2007-08 7.96 
		
	
	It should be noted that the Exchequer aforementioned figures include funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Capital Modernisation Fund for School Sport and Space for Sports and Arts respectively.
	
		
			  ( b )  Lottery  funding 
			  Financial year  Spend per capita (£) 
			 2005-06 8.31 
			 2006-07 6.77 
			 2007-08 4.16

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he has taken to reduce his Department's carbon dioxide emissions in the next financial year.

Kevin Brennan: To continue to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in 2008/09 my Department has taken the following steps:
	Findings from Carbon Trust energy surveys on our Headquarters buildings are being addressed within my Department's Environmental Management System.
	A continuing major refurbishment project in our London Headquarters building is expected to generate significant reductions in energy use through adoption of new ways of working and energy conserving lighting.
	Launching and delivering an internal communications campaign to raise awareness on sustainability issues, highlight successes and initiate activities to lead to a more careful use of resources.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2008,  Official Report, column 404W, on the departmental intranet, which Minister amended an entry; what that amendment was; how he is able to identify that the change was made by a Minister; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 18 March 2008
	 Lord Adonis amended an entry on Wikipedia and not the departmental intranet. The Minister corrected a page about himself on Wikipedia which was factually incorrect. The Minister responded to an internal request for information.

Primary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities were approached on or before 6 March 2008 in relation to specific issues needing addressing in relation to their primary capital programme strategies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: None. The situation remains as outlined in my 17 February written reply to the hon. Member. We are reviewing how best to manage this commitment and will notify local authorities in due course.

Pupil Exclusions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils were excluded  (a) temporarily and  (b) permanently excluded from school for possession of a knife in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many pupils were excluded  (a) temporarily and  (b) permanently from schools for possession or use of (i) alcohol and (ii) illegal drugs in each of the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: The available information is shown in the table, and shows the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions from secondary schools by reason for exclusion.
	There are 12 categories describing the various reasons for exclusion. There is no specific category relating to possession of a knife or possession of illegal drugs.
	DCSF guidance states that a head teacher can exclude a pupil permanently for supplying an illegal drug and that the Secretary of State would not normally expect the governing body or an appeal panel to reinstate such a pupil. Illegal drugs have no place in schools and harm children's learning, health and behaviour. We have made clear that we support head teachers and governing bodies together with local partners including the police in their efforts to tackle illegal drugs in schools.
	Exclusions data relating to the 2006/07 school year are expected to be published in June 2008, and the scope of information on reasons for exclusion will extend to also include primary and special schools.
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools( 1,2) : number and percentage of permanent and fixed period exclusions by reason for exclusion—England, 2005/06 
			   Number of permanent exclusions( 3)  Percentage of all permanent exclusions( 3,4)  Number of fixed period exclusions  Percentage of all fixed period exclusions( 4) 
			 Physical assault against a pupil 1,260 16 62,670 18 
			 Physical assault against an adult 740 9 8,240 2 
			 Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against a pupil 330 4 12,730 4 
			 Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult 900 11 79,370 23 
			 Bullying 80 1 5,270 2 
			 Racist abuse 30 0 3,370 1 
			 Sexual misconduct 110 1 2,620 1 
			 Drug and alcohol related 450 6 8,360 2 
			 Damage 170 2 9,390 3 
			 Theft 220 3 7,770 2 
			 Persistent disruptive behaviour 2,370 30 72,340 21 
			 Other 1,340 17 71,720 21 
			 Total(5) 7,990 100 343,840 100 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) For the 2005/06 school year, information on the reason for exclusion was collected via the School Census for the first time for secondary schools only (the Termly Exclusions Survey has discontinued). For exclusions during 2006/07, information on the reason for exclusion will also be collected from primary and special schools. (3) Estimates based on incomplete pupil level data. (4) The number of exclusions by reason expressed as a percentage of the total number of exclusions. (5) There were two permanent and four fixed period exclusions for which circumstance was not known—these were included in the 'total' column only.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Pupil Exclusions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were excluded temporarily from school in each of the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary, secondary and special schools( 1,2) : Number of fixed period exclusions by type of school England, 2003/04 to 2005/06( 3) 
			   2003/04( 3,4)  2004/05( 4)  2005/06( 5) 
			  Primary schools
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 41,300 43,720 n/a 
			 Percentage of fixed period exclusions(6) 12 11 n/a 
			 Percentage of school population(7) 0.97 1.04 n/a 
			 
			  Secondary schools
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 288,040 329,680 343,840 
			 Percentage of fixed period exclusions(6) 84 85 n/a 
			 Percentage of school population(7) 8.66 9.94 10.40 
			 
			  Special schools
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 15,170 16,170 n/a 
			 Percentage of fixed period exclusions(6) 4 4 n/a 
			 Percentage of school population(7) 17.45 18.91 n/a 
			 
			  All schools
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 344,510 389,560 n/a 
			 Percentage of fixed period exclusions(6) 100 100 n/a 
			 Percentage of school population(7) 4.49 5.12 n/a 
			 n/a = Not available (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes maintained special schools. Excludes non-maintained special schools. (3) In 2003/04, information on fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time. (4) Information on fixed period exclusions has been derived from Termly Exclusion Survey returns. (5) For the 2005/06 school year, information on fixed period exclusions from secondary schools was collected via the School Census for the first time (the Termly Exclusions Survey has been discontinued). For exclusions during 2006/07, information on fixed period exclusions will also be collected from primary and special schools. (6) The number of fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the total number. (7) The number of fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in January each year.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Termly Exclusions Survey and School Census

Pupils: Absenteeism

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were missing from education in the area covered by Derby City Education Authority in the last school year, broken down by  (a) school,  (b) sex and  (c) ethnicity.

Kevin Brennan: The Government are deeply concerned about any child or young person who is missing from education. That is why we introduced a new statutory duty in February 2007 for local authorities to put robust systems in place to identify any child not receiving a suitable education, and provided guidance on how to implement this duty.
	We do not collect nationally the data my hon. Friend has asked for but my Department has recently asked a number of local authorities to provide a snapshot of the number of children known to be not receiving a suitable education. Derby city council was one of these local authorities and the information it provided indicated that there were 121 children identified as not being in receipt of a suitable education, as of 6 March 2008.

Schools: Rural Areas

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of the change in the frequency of personal travel and car usage in rural areas resulting from the closure of rural schools.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect data on personal travel and car usage in rural areas.
	When considering proposals to close a rural school the local authority or schools adjudicator, whichever is the decision maker, must have regard to statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State. The guidance makes clear that the decision maker must have regard to the presumption against closing rural schools and must take account of several other factors in coming to a decision, including the length and nature of journeys to alternative provision and the impact on the community.
	In the 10 years since 1998, when the Government introduced the presumption against closing rural schools, the number of rural schools closing each year is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1998 5 
			 1999 2 
			 2000 2 
			 2001 3 
			 2002 5 
			 2003 12 
			 2004 9 
			 2005 8 
			 2006 7 
			 2007 8 
			  Note: The figures show actual school closures and not amalgamations such as infant and junior schools coming together to form a primary school. 
		
	
	Local authorities are under a duty to ensure that suitable home to school travel arrangements are made, where necessary, to facilitate a child's attendance at school. In the Department's view, arrangements could not be considered suitable where they resulted in an unreasonably long journey time.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he will answer Question 182839 on bullying in his Department and its agencies tabled by the hon. Member for Fareham on 23 January 2008.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 12 March 2008,  Official Report, column 406W.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Property

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent by his Department on renovation and refurbishment of its properties in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is provided in the following table and includes the properties used for delivery of benefits and employment support across the country.
	The figures shown include the nationwide rollout of the new Jobcentre Plus network, as well as other major departmental initiatives in The Pension Service and Debt Management.
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2002-03 170.0 
			 2003-04 282.3 
			 2004-05 117.3 
			 2005-06 278.9 
			 2006-07 162.2

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) central departmental and  (b) Jobcentre Plus employees who are off work because of (i) stress, (ii) depression and (iii) other mental health conditions.

Anne McGuire: DWP, in common with other Government Departments, records sickness absences against a list of standard definitions. Absences attributed to stress, depression and other mental health conditions are recorded under the single category of "Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues".
	The following table shows the number of employees in our departmental centre and Jobcentre Plus who, according to current data held on the personnel computer system, were off work for reasons attributed to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues on 31 January 2008.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to reducing sickness absences caused by depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Our approach is to support employees, for example by providing access to professional stress counselling, and to use qualified occupational health advice to help them return to work when they do take sick leave.
	
		
			  Business  Number of staff  As percentage of total staff in that Business 
			 Departmental Centre 66 0.6 
			 Jobcentre Plus 684 0.9

Departmental Travel

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its agencies spent on first class travel in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by staff grade.

Anne McGuire: All travel arrangements in DWP and in the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive (HSC/E), which it sponsors, are made in the most efficient and cost effective way through our contracted suppliers. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the DWP Business Travel Policy and Expenses Guidance which is available to its staff on DWP's intranet site. HSC/E's arrangements and equivalent guidance is available to its staff on its intranet site.
	The information requested on expenditure on first class travel is provided in the following table. Information on expenditure by staff grade is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Spend on first class travel (January 2007 to January 2008) 
			   £ 
			 DWP 13,069,791 
			 Health and Safety Commission/Executive 1,595,908 
			 Total 14,665,699

Eurostar

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its agencies spent on  (a) first and  (b) second class travel by Eurostar in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: All travel arrangements in DWP and in the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive (HSC/E), which it sponsors, are made in the most efficient and cost effective way through contracted suppliers. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the DWP Business Travel Policy and Expenses Guidance which is available to all DWP staff on its intranet site. HSC/E's arrangements and equivalent guidance is available to its staff on its intranet site.
	The information requested on expenditure on first and standard class travel by Eurostar in the last 12 months is provided in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Spend on Eurostar (January 2007 to January 2008) 
			  £ 
			   First Class  Standard Class  Total 
			 DWP 92,664 16,560 109,224 
			 Health and Safety Commission/Executive 11,043 8,869 19,912 
			 Total 103,707 25,429 129,136

Pensions

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely net cost of restoring the link between pensions and earnings in April 2008 in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11,  (d) 2011-12,  (e) 2020-21,  (f) 2025-26 and  (g) 2030-31.

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Net additional cost of increasing the basic state pension by earnings from 2008, £ billion, 2007-08 prices 
			   (a) 2008-09  (b) 2009-10  (c) 2010-11  (d) 2011-12  (e) 2020-21  (f) 2025-26  (g) 2030-31 
			 Net additional annual cost -0.2 0.2 1.0 1.7 2.2 2.7 3.4 
			 Net additional cumulative cost -0.2 -0.1 0.9 2.6 20.2 32.7 48.3 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates are additional to the baseline assumption of increasing the basic state pension by earnings from 2012. 2. Estimates are presented in net terms reflecting that the estimated savings from reduced income related benefit payments (pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit) have been deducted. The proportions of additional expenditure saved through reduced income related benefit payments have been estimated using the Department's policy simulation model and are assumed to remain constant over time. 3. In the financial years up to and including 2013-14 Treasury economic assumptions consistent with Budget 2008 have been used to model earnings uprating. After this point a long term earnings growth assumption of 4.93 per cent. has been applied. 4. Estimates are in 2007-08 prices and have been rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion.  Source: DWP modelling

Social Security Benefits: Publicity

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding his Department allocated to campaigns to promote benefit take-up in each year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The Department runs a number of promotional campaigns to promote benefit take-up each year. The following table details spend on marketing campaigns run by the Department in each of the last six complete financial years, for which figures are available.
	The Department's main focus for working age customers is to promote work as the best route out of poverty, with benefits as a support for those who cannot work, and for people in the process of seeking work.
	The Department was formed on 8 June 2001 from parts of the former Department for Social Security, the former Department for Education and Employment, and the Employment Service. Information prior to 2001 is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Departmental marketing costs 
			   (£000) 
			  2006-07  
			 Pension credit 2,040 
			 Winter fuel 469 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Pension credit 910 
			 Council tax benefit 743 
			 Winter fuel 1,420 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Council tax benefit 771 
			 Pension credit 5,580 
			 Winter fuel 940 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Council tax benefit 673 
			 Pension credit 12,199 
			 Winter fuel 996 
			 Pension service awareness(1) 906 
			   
			  2002-03  
			 Winter fuel 484 
			   
			  2001-02  
			 Minimum income guarantee 3,365 
			 (1 )The main objective of The Pension Service awareness campaign was to promote awareness and take up of pension credit.  Notes 1. The figures provided in the table include costs relating to the delivery of advertising and marketing campaigns for example production, media, distribution and agency costs. 2. All figures are exclusive of VAT.

State Retirement Pensions

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will give consideration to replacing the 25 pence pension increase at 80-years-old with a consolidated cash payment.

Mike O'Brien: We keep these issues under consideration but we have not announced any proposal to do this. We recognise that older pensioners on the whole need help more than others and, since 1997 we have introduced a whole range of measures which have targeted significant extra help on older pensioners. These includes: winter fuel payment of £300 and an additional payment for this year, alongside the winter fuel payment, of £100 to households with someone aged 80 or over, free TV licences; age related personal income tax allowance for the over 75s; and pension credit is of particular benefit to this age-group. Over a third of those entitled to pension credit are over the age of 80.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Cadets

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of the cadet forces was in each year since 1997, broken down by type of cadet.

Bob Ainsworth: The strength of the various cadet forces since 1997 is:
	
		
			   Sea Cadets  Army Cadets  Air Cadets  Combined cadet force 
			 1997 15,161 39,827 32,918 n/a 
			 1998 15,237 40,692 33,499 n/a 
			 1999 14,497 42,114 33,943 40,012 
			 2000 14,361 42,491 33,592 40,551 
			 2001 13,771 40,639 33,281 40,783 
			 2002 13,596 42,486 33,922 40,970 
			 2003 13,310 44,471 34,099 41,267 
			 2004 12,879 44,391 32,394 41,908 
			 2005 12,280 44,793 31,101 42,461 
			 2006 12,738 44,426 30,695 42,032 
			 2007 12,438 44,604 29,981 42,593

Armed Forces: Cadets

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's budget for spending on cadets was in each year since 1997; and what the budget is for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Derek Twigg: Expenditure by each Service on the cadet forces is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			 1997-98 n/a n/a 18 
			 1998-99 n/a n/a 19 
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a 18 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a 19 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a 20 
			 2002-03 8.9 37.1 22 
			 2003-04 8.6 37.1 25 
			 2004-05 8.9 34.98 27 
			 2005-06 9.6 39.24 28 
			 2006-07 8.9 41.18 31 
			 2007-08 (1)9.6 (1)42.20 (1)31 
			 2008-09 (2)— (2)— 31 
			 2009-10 (2)— (2)— 32 
			 2010-11 (2)— (2)— 33 
			 (1 )Forecast outturn. (2) Expenditure on cadets is charged to a number of different budgets and not all types of fixture expenditure are set specifically for the cadet forces.

Armed Forces: Foreigners

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of non-UK personnel in the armed forces are  (a) single and  (b) accompanied by dependents.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the number and percentage of full-time non-UK Personnel serving in the UK armed forces(1) who are single, by Service. Details of the number of dependents are not available prior to the introduction of JPA. Following the introduction of JPA data are held on the number of dependents but these have not yet been validated. To validate these data at this time would incur disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Numbers/percentage 
			   Total non-UK nationals  Non-UK nationals( 4)  with single status  Percentage 
			 Naval Service(2) at 1 October 2006 644 403 63 
			 Army(2) at 1 March 2007 6,980 3,880 56 
			 RAF(3) (5)— (5)— (5)— 
			 (1) UK armed forces comprise UK Regular Forces, Gurkhas and FTRS personnel. It does not include the Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment or mobilised reservists. (2) Information is not held centrally for the Naval Service after 1 October 2006, and for Army after 1 March 2007, following the phased implementation of the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. Strengths figures are shown as at the most recent available date for each individual Service. (3) Although marital status information on RAF personnel is held prior to the implementation of JPA, it is not possible to produce an analysis of this by Nationality. (4) Nationality figures are based on those with a known Nationality only. (5) unavailable . Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages are calculated from unrounded data.  Source:  (DASA Quad-Service)

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on promoting recruitment to the armed forces overseas in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The armed forces do not actively recruit overseas with the exception of Gurkhas from Nepal. However, in recent years the Royal Navy and the Army have sent selection teams to some Commonwealth countries at the specific request of the government concerned, and only then when evidence suggests that there is sufficient interest amongst the local population to merit a visit. The selection teams screen out those who are not thought capable of meeting the full entry standards, to save them the cost of an abortive trip to the UK to undergo the recruitment selection process. The costs incurred as a result of the overseas selection team visits were as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2003-04 127,700 
			 2004-05 125,100 
			 2005-06 80,000 
			 2006-07 180,000 
			 2007-08 (1)150,000 
			 (1) To date.  Note: Figures rounded to nearest 100 
		
	
	Gurkha recruitment policy is different to that for the regular UK armed forces. Recruitment to the Brigade of Gurkhas is conducted once a year, in Nepal. A selection team travels to Nepal from the UK to assist the in-country recruiting team with the selection process. The costs incurred by the recruiting team from outside Nepal were as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2003-04 33,000 
			 2004-05 33,000 
			 2005-06 40,000 
			 2006-07 32,800 
			 2007-08 42,900 
			  Note: Figures rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	The cost relating to the in-country recruiting team in Nepal are not readily available and I will write to the hon. Member with this information in due course.

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military vehicles were designated beyond economic repair in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of military vehicles designated beyond economic repair in each year since 2003 is as follows:
	
		
			  Vehicle type  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 All vehicles 301 264 226 218 136 
			 4 tonne 9 6 5 11 1 
			 8 tonne 2 2 1 3 2 
			 14 tonne — — — 1 1 
			 Ambulance — 3 1 1 — 
			 Articulated vehicles 5 4 1 1 — 
			 BV206 1 — — — — 
			 Car saloons 170 179 145 121 90 
			 DROPS IMMLC — — — 1 — 
			 DROPS MMLC 4 — 1 4 3 
			 Fire fighting vehicles 2 — — — — 
			 Fuel vehicles 2 1 1 3 — 
			 Mini buses 17 14 14 14 8 
			 Misc Engr and Trials 1 — — — — 
			 Motor coaches — — 2 3 — 
			 Motorcycle 3 4 2 2 1 
			 Other cargo vehicles 5 11 5 5 6 
			 Plant vehicles 2 — — — — 
			 Recovery vehicles 1 2 1 — — 
			 Special vehicle — 2 1 3 1 
			 Tracked A vehicle — — — 3 3 
			 TUH — — — — — 
			 TUMHD — — 1 1 — 
			 TUM/TUL 49 24 28 28 10 
			 Vans 28 12 17 13 10

Armed Forces: Weapons

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what size the armed forces' stockpiles of  (a) M85 and  (b) CRV-7 munitions are; and when these weapons' lifespan expire.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding information relating both to the size of the stockpile of M85 and CRV-7 munitions and to their out of service dates, as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	In addition, the shelf life of individual munitions or components is established in conjunction with the manufacturer and will vary depending on the date of manufacture. At the end of this period, the shelf life may be extended, subject to appropriate MOD in-house surveillance and trials programmes, should there be a continuing requirement for the capability. The shelf life of munitions of the same type in the stockpile will therefore vary.

Chelsea Barracks: Sales

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2343-44W, on Chelsea Barracks: sales, what the  (a) single living accommodation and  (b) service family accommodation expenditure profiles were prior to the decision to apportion the proceeds of the sale of Chelsea Barracks for service and accommodation.

Derek Twigg: The Department has taken a targeted and long-term approach to investing in accommodation, taking account of defence priorities across the board and the need to ensure value from public money.
	The sale of Chelsea Barracks was contained within our forward financial plans and therefore its completion has secured planned investment in service accommodation of some £250 million in the current financial year and £550 million over the next three years, with the balance in the next settlement period. Additionally, as announced by the Secretary of State last year, it has enabled this Department to further increase expenditure on single living accommodation by £80 million. This will deliver an additional 1,350 new bed-spaces.

Defence Equipment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the implementation of through life capability management has affected the ways in which his Department  (a) acquires and  (b) supports equipment; and what equipment is covered by through life capability management.

Bob Ainsworth: Through Life Capability Management is an approach to the acquisition and in-service management of military capability in which every aspect of new and existing military capability is planned and managed coherently from cradle to grave. This is leading to better solutions for defence and the taxpayer by ensuring that decisions are taken with better knowledge of all defence lines of development, including up-front acquisition costs and through-life support.
	Through Life Capability Management covers all equipment which contributes to the delivery of military capability.

Departmental Buildings

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which central offices occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people.

Derek Twigg: Government Departments are subject to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which requires them to make reasonable access arrangements for disabled people. The MOD acts within the Act and Part M of the Building Regulations for England and Wales (and their equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland). Consequently the Department takes all reasonable steps to ensure compliance with the legislation.
	Records of all fully accessible buildings are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Depleted Uranium: Waste Management

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the gun barrels used in test firing of depleted uranium shells at the Dundrennan test range are stored; and whether they are to be sent to another site for  (a) long-term storage and  (b) disposal.

Bob Ainsworth: The gun barrel used to fire CHARM 3 Depleted Uranium rounds, as part of the life extension trial firings on 11 and 12 March, at the Ministry of Defence's Kirkcudbright Range at Dundrennan, was previously stored at the Eskmeals Range in Cumbria.
	20 rounds in total were fired and the barrel was monitored before and after each firing. On completion of the life extension trial the barrel and fume extractor were checked for any signs of contamination before being returned to Eskmeals on 13 March for further monitoring and to await disposal. Disposal planning is at an early stage and it is therefore too early to confirm the disposal site. Any contaminated parts of the barrel would, however, be disposed of in accordance with arrangements agreed with the regulatory authorities responsible for environmental protection.

EU Defence Policy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the national resources to be used for EU Defence, as mentioned in Chapter 2, Section 1, Article 13 of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Des Browne: Article 28 (2) (Article 41(2) in the new numbering) of the Lisbon Treaty states that:
	"In cases where expenditure is not charged to the Union budget, it shall be charged to the member states in accordance with the gross national product scale, unless the Council acting unanimously decides otherwise."
	This language is the same as that in the current Treaty on European Union. The budget for EU defence policy covering civilian activities is drawn from the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP) budget. National contributions to this budget are based on a Gross National Product scale.
	Military operations are not funded from the CFSP budget, but are instead paid for on an ad-hoc basis by contributions directly from EU member states. In 2004, the Council acting unanimously set up the ATHENA mechanism for the funding of the common costs of EU military missions. Under this EU member states pay for specified agreed common costs for EU military missions on a Gross National Income scale. The majority of mission costs are provided by troop contributing nations on a "costs lie where they fall" basis.

Ex-servicemen

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance is available to members of the armed services who have been invalided out of the service; what  (a) discussions he has had and  (b) representations he has received on this issue since 2006; what plans he has to increase the assistance available; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: We take our responsibilities for those who are invalided out of the armed forces seriously. For those requiring assistance, MOD provides health care and welfare support in service but, at service termination, the primary responsibility passes to the normal civilian agencies, including the ex-service charities. Since October 2007 we have put in place a new care pathway for the most seriously injured to ensure they receive the appropriate support as they need. The Department's Veterans Welfare Service is there to provide advice on issues such as entitlement to pensions and compensation under the Department's no-fault schemes. In the case of the severely injured, the welfare service monitors those discharged for a period of at least two years to provide advice should difficulties arise.
	Working together with civilian and third sector agencies, our aim is to achieve smooth and seamless transition. Those invalided from service are eligible for the MOD's full resettlement package (including support into work where this is appropriate and, automatic configuration of pension). Where the invaliding disorder is due to service, no fault compensation benefits will be assessed and paid and, for the relevant condition, the individual will be eligible for NHS priority treatment with additional benefits such as free prescriptions.
	As Veterans Minister, I meet regularly with veterans and the ex-service organisations. Topics raised since 2006 have included priority treatment, civilian benefits, housing compensation, civilian mental health services for veterans and the issues of cultural understanding that can arise for those who have served when they seek help from civilian health professionals. Officials from MOD, other Government Departments, the devolved administrations and the charities are working together to address all key concerns, communicating existing entitlements to all those involved, and areas where improvements might be made to arrangements for ensuring seamless transition. I recently met colleague ministers from Department of Health, Work and Pensions and Communities and Local Government and also my counterpart in the Scottish Executive, when we confirmed our determination to provide excellent support to veterans especially those injured or made ill by service.

Iraq: Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new armoured fighting vehicles were despatched to  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq in each year since British troops were deployed to each country.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding information on the number of armoured vehicles deployed as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Iraq: Detainees

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost to date to the public purse has been of prosecutions, trial proceedings and internal military investigations and proceedings concerned with the death of Mr. Baha Musa in Iraq in British custody.

Des Browne: It has not been possible to collate all the necessary information within the required timescale. The following figures are for those costings available to date, though they are not final sums.
	Army Criminal Legal Aid Authority costs for all defence teams are £8,140,696.91. The Military Court Service costs, including costs for witnesses, transcription, hotel bills, catering, interpreters and miscellaneous items, are £363,800. The Army Prosecuting Authority costs, including those for the Judicial Review, are £1,231,240.
	I will write to the hon. Member once the costings for other areas have been received.
	 Substantive answer from Des Browne to Harry Cohen:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 18 February (Official Report, columns 101-102W) about the costs to date to the public purse of prosecution trial proceedings and internal military investigations concerned with the death of Mr Baha Mousa in Iraq whilst in British custody.
	Most of the costs for internal military investigations were met from within the normal operating budgets of the Department and the Royal Military Police units involved. These costs are not recorded separately.
	The exception to this is where the Royal Military Police sought external assistance from interpreters and forensic experts. The costs associated with these are as follows:
	Forensic Investigations: £14,926.61
	Interpretation Costs: £12,074.10

Iraq: Disabled

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers have been rendered disabled on service in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq in each year since British forces were deployed to each of those countries.

Derek Twigg: Information on the number of Service personnel rendered disabled while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the number of ex-Service personnel in receipt of a pension for disablement caused by service before 6 April 2005 is published in the "War Pension Quarterly Statistics" by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA), however these reports do not contain information on where the disablement was caused. Copies of the War Pensions Quarterly Statistics are available on the DASA website at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/pensions/introduction.html
	Injuries caused on or after 6 April 2005 fall to be compensated under the Armed Forces Compensation scheme ("AFCS"). Quarterly statistics on AFCS will be published by DASA in due course. As with war pensions, AFCS published statistics will not contain information relating to place of injury.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many awards for  (a) bravery and  (b) distinguished service were issued to personnel who had served in Iraq in each year since 2003, broken down by (i) service, (ii) rank and (iii) regiment.

Bob Ainsworth: It has not been possible to collate the necessary information in the format requested within the required timescale. I can however provide aggregate figures as follows:
	
		
			  Service  Gallantry  Meritorious service  Total 
			 Royal Navy/Royal Marines 32 77 109 
			 Army 328 310 638 
			 Royal Air Force 43 70 113 
			 Royal Fleet Auxiliary — 5 5 
			 Total 403 462 865 
		
	
	The Army figures can be further broken out into regiment follows:
	
		
			  Regt/Corps  Gallantry  Meritorious service  Total 
			 Household Cavalry Regiment 7 — 7 
			 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards 6 6 12 
			 The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards 2 2 4 
			 The Royal Dragoon Guards — 1 1 
			 The Queen's Royal Hussars 4 2 6 
			 9th/12th Royal Lancers — 1 1 
			 The King's Royal Hussars 3 3 6 
			 The Light Dragoons — 4 4 
			 The Queen's Royal Lancers 4 5 9 
			 Royal Tank Regiment 1 4 5 
			 The Queens Own Yeomanry — 2 2 
			 Royal Artillery 14 27 41 
			 Royal Engineers 20 40 60 
			 Royal Corps of Signals 2 15 17 
			 Grenadier Guards 2 — 2 
			 Coldstream Guards 2 2 4 
			 Scots Guards 3 3 6 
			 Irish Guards 7 3 10 
			 Welsh Guards 3 5 8 
			 Royal Regiment of Scotland 34 14 48 
			 Princess of Wales' s Royal Regiment 43 4 47 
			 Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 7 5 12 
			 Royal Anglian Regiment 9 4 13 
			 The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment 15 12 27 
			 The Yorkshire Regiment 4 10 14 
			 The Mercian Regiment 6 6 12 
			 The Royal Welsh 19 4 23 
			 The Rifles 35 10 45 
			 The Royal Irish Regiment 5 5 10 
			 The Parachute Regiment 29 10 39 
			 The London Regiment 1 — 1 
			 The Royal Gurkha Rifles — 1 1 
			 Queen's Gurkha Engineers — 1 1 
			 Royal Army Chaplains Department — 1 1 
			 Army Air Corps 5 2 7 
			 The Royal Logistic Corps 16 41 57 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 6 16 22 
			 Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 12 12 24 
			 Adjutant General's Corps 2 13 15 
			 Small Arms School Corps — 1 1 
			 Intelligence Corps — 9 9 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps — 4 4 
			 TOTAL 328 310 638 
		
	
	I will write to the hon. Member with more detailed information when this has been collated

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rocket attacks there were on Basra airbase in each year since 2003.

Des Browne: The first recorded instance of a rocket attack on the Contingency Operating Base (COB) in Basra was in May 2004. The number of attacks against the COB in each year since that time is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of attacks 
			 2004 12 
			 2005 8 
			 2006 75 
			 2007 400 
			 2008 37 
		
	
	The figure for 2008 includes attacks up to 17 February. More than one rocket may have been fired in any individual attack.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel from  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire were serving in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan at the latest date for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: Data on the UK residential location of armed forces personnel is not held centrally in databases of individual records and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports were filed regarding  (a) C-17 Globemaster,  (b) C-130K Hercules,  (c) C-130J Hercules,  (d) Tristar and  (e) VC-10 aircraft in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: MOD Form 760 is the mandated process for users to report aircraft faults which include, accidental damage, maintenance related failures and breakdowns, and the failure of items fitted to the aircraft. Information on the numbers of such reports raised on the requested aircraft types in each year is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Aircraft type  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 C-17 Globemaster 69 46 127 203 181 
			 C-130K Hercules 56 38 35 40 9 
			 C-130J Hercules 14 17 2 1 18 
			 TriStar 7 6 8 6 8 
			 VC-10 31 41 33 19 16 
		
	
	The data do not incorporate the results of subsequent investigations and do not, therefore, differentiate between what might later prove to have been operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations. Nor do the data indicate the severity of the failure which might have had no discernable impact on operational capability or safety. These figures do not include any instances of equipment defects that have not been formally reported by the user.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports were filed for each helicopter type in the  (a) Army Air Corps,  (b) Fleet Air Arm and  (c) Royal Air Force in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: MOD Form 760 is the mandated process for the users to report aircraft faults which include, accidental damage, maintenance related failures and breakdowns, and the failure of items fitted to the aircraft. Information on the numbers of such reports raised on the requested aircraft types in each year is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Helicopter type  Service  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 1) 
			 Agusta A109A/AM—includes engines Army 0 4 1 1 0 0 
			 
			 Attack AH Mkl Army 289 590 432 308 283 50 
			 Engine—RRTM 322- 120  2 0 2 9 7 1 
			 
			 Chinook Mk2/2a RAF 67 64 50 50 61 20 
			 Engine—T55  6 1 0 1 2 0 
			 
			 Gazelle Army 40 50 53 25 17 3 
			 Engine—TM 3N2  n/a 5 7 6 1 1 
			 
			 Lynx Mk3/Mk8 RN 95 65 72 81 70 13 
			 Engine—RR Gem 204  5 4 9 9 3 0 
			 
			 Lynx Mk7/Mk9 Army 168 182 146 92 127 20 
			 Engine—RR Gem 205  3 5 8 9 3 0 
			 
			 Merlin Mkl RN n/a 198 278 282 118 59 
			 Engine—RRTM 322- 100  0 2 5 3 4 0 
			 
			 Merlin Mk3 RAF n/a 48 41 22 41 15 
			 Engine—RRTM 322-200  0 2 3 3 [ 0 
			 
			 Puma RAF 33 42 27 27 23 2 
			 Engine—TM 3C4  n/a 2 3 5 4 0 
			 
			 Sea King —All Mks RN and RAF 168 163 146 227 155 24 
			 Engine all Mks—RR Gnome  n/a 12 17 28 22 0 
			 (1) To date 
		
	
	Figures are marked as not available (n/a) where MOD Form 760s have been archived and therefore not recorded on the electronic database. Helicopter engines are administered by a single integrated project team and are identified separately.
	The data do not incorporate the results of subsequent investigations and do not, therefore, differentiate between what might later prove to have been operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations. Nor do the data indicate the severity of the failure which might have had no discernable impact on operational capability or safety. These figures do not include any instances of equipment defects that have not been formally reported by the user.

National Army Museum

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the correspondence between the Curator of the Royal Irish Fusiliers Regimental Museum, Armagh, dated 1 February 2008 and the Director of the National Army Museum on the National Army Museum's policies on co-operation with Regimental and Corps Museums seeking access to its archives; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 21 February 2008
	I will write to my hon. Friend.

Type 45 Destroyers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what increases there have been in the planned capability of Type 45 destroyers since the stating of an intention to order  (a) up to 12 and  (b) eight such vessels.

Bob Ainsworth: The Type 45 Air Defence destroyer is planned to operate with the Co-operative Engagement Capability system which greatly enhances the ship's maritime air defence capability. In the light of this improved networked capability, reduced conventional threat and our revised concurrency assumptions, we assessed that we would need fewer of these platforms.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Royal Navy  (a) destroyers,  (b) frigates,  (c) submarines,  (d) mine countermeasure vessels,  (e) patrol vessels,  (f) amphibious assault vessels and  (g) Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels underwent the Storob process (i) in each year since 2003 and (ii) in each month since January 2005.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of times that items or components of ships' fitted equipment have been transferred between vessels in front line service is as follows:
	
		
			   Destroyers  Frigates  Submarines  MCMVs  Patrol vessels  Amphibious assault vessel  RFA vessels 
			 2003 5 64 116 10 4 4 13 
			 2004 56 57 169 36 3 12 19 
			 
			  2005
			 January 17 14 21 2 0 3 4 
			 February 7 8 37 3 0 0 0 
			 March 2 4 16 1 0 2 0 
			 April 1 5 19 7 0 1 0 
			 May 1 2 23 0 0 0 1 
			 June 2 6 25 1 0 0 0 
			 July 1 2 19 1 0 1 0 
			 August 2 3 23 1 2 0 1 
			 September 1 1 18 0 0 0 1 
			 October 0 3 12 3 0 1 0 
			 November 1 5 20 1 0 3 2 
			 December 0 0 22 0 0 1 0 
			 Total 35 53 255 20 2 12 9 
			 
			  2006
			 January 1 9 25 0 0 5 4 
			 February 2 7 27 5 0 2 1 
			 March 1 10 37 1 1 2 1 
			 April 2 4 20 0 1 1 1 
			 May 0 3 24 0 0 0 1 
			 June 2 5 17 3 0 1 0 
			 July 2 2 15 1 0 0 0 
			 August 0 3 16 3 0 0 0 
			 September 0 0 22 1 0 6 1 
			 October 2 11 20 4 0 1 0 
			 November 1 10 11 1 2 0 0 
			 December 1 9 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 15 73 244 19 4 18 9 
			 
			  2007
			 January 1 7 19 1 0 1 3 
			 February 0 8 16 3 0 0 0 
			 March 8 11 30 0 0 13 0 
			 April 1 0 23 3 0 1 2 
			 May 0 4 8 0 0 0 0 
			 June 4 3 14 2 1 0 0 
			 July 2 6 27 1 0 0 0 
			 August 0 1 16 0 0 0 1 
			 September 3 3 23 2 1 0 18 
			 October 1 11 10 2 0 1 3 
			 November 0 8 15 0 0 1 3 
			 December 2 4 11 0 0 1 1 
			 Total 22 66 212 14 2 18 31 
		
	
	The accuracy of all figures is subject to the availability of relevant data and may be subject to revision. Figures for 2003 and 2005 update those provided in the answer given by my predecessor on 13 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1951W.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unexpected defects in new classes of ships entering service since 2006 have been reported; and what the defect was in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: No new classes of RN ships have entered service since 2006 though the Bay class of ships has entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. But, as explained in an answer from my predecessor to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 373W, making public the temporary defects in equipment onboard Royal Navy ships would allow an assessment to be made of the operational capability of the fleet and disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.

Weapons: Testing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which days in 2008 to date test firings of CHARM3 tank ammunition have taken place; what the reasons were for these test firings; and what further tests are planned in 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: Test firings of 20 rounds of 120 mm CHARM 3 Challenger Tank ammunition took place on 11 and 12 March 2008. No further firings are planned.
	The CHARM 3 round is the main anti-armour nature used by the British Army and there is an ongoing requirement for its capability. The shelf life of the stockpile is due to expire in 2009 and, as is normal practice where there is a continuing requirement, arrangements were made to extend its life. As part of the life extension programme, rigorous in-service surveillance testing is required to ensure that the munitions remain safe and suitable for continued service. The final element of this process involved live proof firings at Kirkcudbright.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Education

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department is providing for education in Afghanistan  (a) in budget support,  (b) directly to non-governmental organisations and  (c) by other means in 2007-08.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports the education sector by putting the majority of our money through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). Through our contribution to the ARTF, DFID helps to fund the Afghan Government's recurrent budget which pays the salaries of public servants, including teachers. Since 2002 we have contributed £240 million to the ARTF, including £55 million this financial year. We plan to contribute £60 million in 2008-09. DFID does not provide for education in Afghanistan via budget support or directly through NGOs.

Afghanistan: Child Mortality

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to advance progress towards Millennium Development Goal 4 in Afghanistan.

Douglas Alexander: There have been significant improvements in meeting Millennium Development Goal 4 (decreasing child mortality) in Afghanistan since 2001: infant mortality has reduced to 135 per 1,000 in 2006 from 165 per 1,000 in 2003 and 76 per cent. of children under the age of five have been immunised against childhood diseases.
	The Department of International Development provides support to the health sector by funding the Afghan Government's recurrent budget which pays the salaries of public servants, including doctors and health workers. Since 2002 we have contributed £240 million to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), including £55 million this financial year. We plan to contribute £60 million in 2008-09.

Afghanistan: Malnutrition

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to tackle malnutrition amongst under-fives in Afghanistan.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) assists the Afghan Government in tackling malnutrition amongst under-fives and provides support to the health sector by funding the Afghan Government's recurrent budget which pays the salaries of public servants, including doctors and health workers. Since 2002 we have contributed £240 million to the ARTF, including £55 million this financial year. We plan to contribute £60 million in 2008-09. This contribution has led to 82 per cent. of the population living in districts that have access to a Basic Package of Health Services. In addition DFID has just provided £3 million of emergency funding to a joint appeal from the Government of Afghanistan and the World Food Programme to address the current food shortages facing the most vulnerable families in Afghanistan.

Africa: Overseas Aid

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which UK bilateral aid programmes are under way in  (a) Mauritania,  (b) Sierra Leone,  (c) Tanzania,  (d) Congo and  (e) Gambia; and what the (i) duration and (ii) cost is of each.

Shahid Malik: Of the countries listed, the Department for International Development (DFID) only has bilateral programmes in Sierra Leone, Tanzania and the Gambia. Details of DFID's spending plans for 2007-08 were published in the Departmental Annual Report 2007 which can be found at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/departmental-report/2007/default.asp#contents

Departmental Data Protection

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether confidential or personal information has been compromised through the loss of property from his Department since 1997.

Shahid Malik: Except in exceptional cases, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on breaches of security. However, following the publication of the Data Handling Procedures in Government: Interim Progress Report on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 98WS, all Departments will cover information assurance issues in their annual reports.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Wikipedia entries have been  (a) created and  (b) amended (i) by (A) special advisers, (B) Ministers and (C) communications officials and (ii) from IP addresses of (1) special advisers, (2) Ministers and (3) communications officials in his Department since August 2005.

Douglas Alexander: No Wikipedia entries have been created or amended by special advisers, Ministers or communications officials of the Department. It is not possible to obtain IP address information without incurring disproportionate cost.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) country-co-ordinating mechanisms,  (b) UN agencies and  (c) civil society organisations his Department met to discuss either the development of proposals for or implementation of Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grant funding in 2007.

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development holds regular meetings with country co-ordinating mechanisms, UN agencies and civil society organisations—both at headquarters and country levels—at which Global Fund grant funding is discussed.
	We do not keep a record of the number of meetings we have held to discuss the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grant funding.

HIV Infection: Overseas Aid

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to secure G8 agreement to firm  (a) plans and  (b) timetables for the implementation of commitments on HIV and AIDS made at the 2007 Heiligendamm G8 summit; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that universal access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support services is a priority agenda item at  (a) the forthcoming meeting of G8 Development Ministers and  (b) the forthcoming G8 summit; and what estimate he has made of the level of funding (i) necessary to enable universal access to these services by 2010 and (ii) to be contributed towards this goal by G8 countries;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the size of contribution to be made by the UK towards fulfilling the commitments made at the 2007 G8 summit to provide by 2010  (a) $1.5 billion towards universal access to prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services and  (b) $1.8 billion towards universal access to paediatric HIV treatment;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the funding still required to achieve the commitment at the 2007 G8 summit to enable distribution of between $6 billion and $8 billion by the Global Fund by 2010; and what assessment he has made of the likely sources for such funding.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is pushing G8 colleagues to ensure that fulfilling and implementing previous summit commitments is a priority both for the forthcoming meeting of G8 Development Ministers and at this year's Leaders' summit. The G8 in 2007 committed to scale up their efforts to achieve universal access, including to provide a projected $60 billion. The UK will be pressing G8 and other colleagues to contribute their share towards the goal of universal access.
	A record $10 billion is estimated to have been spent globally tackling HIV and AIDS in 2007, which is a 10-fold increase on 2000 spending. UNAIDS have estimated that, to achieve universal access by 2010, global spending must accelerate to between $30 and $50 billion in 2010.
	The UK is the second largest Government funder of AIDS-related assistance in the world, behind the US, and has pledged to spend £1.5 billion in tackling HIV and AIDS in developing countries between 2005 and 2008. The UK is committed to the goal of universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention services (including to prevent mother-to-child infection), treatment (including paediatric AIDS treatment), care and support. We are equally committed to paying our fair share and we expect partners to do the same.
	In September 2007, the UK made an unprecedented commitment of up to £1 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) up to 2015. The Board of the Global Fund expects that demand to the Global Fund could reach $6 billion per year by 2010, and could rise as high as $8 billion if demand from countries is greatly strengthened.
	At the GFATM replenishment conference in September 2007, international donors pledged a total of around $6.3 billion for the three-year period to 2010. The Global Fund Secretariat estimates that a further $3.4 billion has been pledged since then, making a total of $9.7 billion. This is a significant increase in resources which will allow the Fund to support a substantial expansion of all ongoing programmes, and to launch new programmes. At the last funding round of the GFATM, all the programmes recommended for approval were fully funded.

HIV Infection: Overseas Aid

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the funding required  (a) internationally and  (b) from G8 countries to achieve the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by 2010;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the resources required to meet the commitment made at the G8 summit in 2007 to enable distribution by the Global Fund of between $6 billion and $8 billion by 2010; and what assessment he has made of the likely sources for such funding;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the achievement of the G8 commitment of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by 2010 remains a priority agenda item at this year's G8 summit;
	(4)  what steps he plans to take to encourage leaders at the 2008 G8 summit to bring forward plans and timetables for delivering commitments made on HIV and AIDS at the 2007 G8 summit, including  (a) the $1.5 billion promised for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission services by 2010 and  (b) the $1.8 billion promised for paediatric treatment by 2010.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (Nigel Griffiths) (UIN numbers 194302, 194303, 194304 and 194305).

Kosovo: Overseas Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department has given to Kosovo in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) provided Kosovo with £3.2 million of bilateral assistance in 2006-07.
	The UK's imputed share of multilateral official development assistance to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) in 2005 was £21.9 million. Multilateral shares data for 2006 will be published in DFID's Annual Report in May 2008, reporting separate figures for Montenegro and Serbia (including Kosovo).

Overseas Aid: Cost Effectiveness

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department takes to monitor value for money of international aid where funding is given directly to the Government of a developing country.

Gareth Thomas: Department for International Development (DFID) programme documents set out the objectives that we aim to achieve with our resources and a monitoring framework to enable us to track progress. We carry out reviews, normally with other donors, at least annually. As our aid money is mixed with the government's own revenue, we monitor the impact of our aid and the Government's own spending on growth and poverty reduction. Providing aid direct to Governments enables us to engage with the Government on the value for money of their overall budget. We also use our aid to strengthen Governments' ability to monitor the value for money achieved through their own programmes. The newly established Investment Committee will increase focus on value for money across DFID.
	An independent evaluation of budget support which reported in 2006 assessed a total of US $4 billion provided as budget support from all donors in seven partner countries between 1994 and 2004. This found that, in the right circumstances, budget support has strengthened countries' public financial management systems, improved the efficiency of their public expenditure and increased the services provided by partner Governments, particularly in health and education.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to reply to the question tabled on 4 February 2008 by the hon. Member for Eddisbury on Wikipedia (185531).

Douglas Alexander: The answer to the hon. Member's parliamentary question has been issued.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Admiralty House

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2564W, on Admiralty House, which commercial contractors were used to conduct the deep clean of the former residence of the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull (Mr. Prescott).

Meg Munn: The deep cleaning was carried out by the Cabinet Office's facilities management company, Ecovert FM.

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of levels of recruitment of children by armed groups in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made no formal assessment of the recruitment of children by armed groups in Afghanistan. According to the report of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (A/62/609-S/2007/757), children have been used in suicide attacks and as human shields in Afghanistan. We condemn all attacks, but they are of particular concern when they are carried out by minors.

Colombia: Human Rights

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2143W, on Colombia, what the evidential basis is for his statement that illegal armed groups, including the FARC, are committing the majority of human rights abuses in Colombia.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave her on 3 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2143W, and the 2007 report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) (UN General Assembly document A/HRC/4/48) cited in my answer.
	The UNHCHR 2008 report (UN General Assembly document A/HRC/7/39) has now been published. It states:
	"A number of murders and death threats against trade unionists denounced to the office in Colombia in 2007 were attributed to members of the FARC-EP [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army], to new illegal armed groups, or to unidentified persons."

Cuba: Foreign Relations

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the recent statement by the EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid on EU-Cuba relations; and if he will make it his policy to  (a) support the cessation of EU diplomatic sanctions in respect of Cuba and  (b) promote constructive engagement with Cuba.

Meg Munn: The joint communiqué issued following the Commissioner's visit is in the public domain, the full text is available at:
	http://europa.cubaminrex.cu/Actualidad/2008/Marzo/Visita2.html
	The UK is committed to the EU Common Position, which will be reviewed again in June 2008. The UK will continue to monitor events in Cuba and discuss the position with EU partners in the run-up to the review.
	The UK continues to promote constructive engagement with Cuba through our Embassy in Havana, the Cuban Embassy in London and bilateral visits.

Cyprus

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to support reunification in Cyprus following the recent presidential election.

Jim Murphy: We encourage all parties to engage fully with the UN's efforts to achieve a comprehensive Cyprus settlement. A new opportunity now exists to make substantial progress, given the new sense of momentum. This opportunity must be seized. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has already met the new Cypriot Foreign Minister and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to President Christofias inviting him to the UK.

Defence: EU Action

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the legal personality accorded to the EU under the Treaty of Lisbon will enable the EU to agree defence treaties with third countries.

Jim Murphy: The EU already has the legal personality to conclude international agreements under Article 24 of the Treaty on the EU. For example, on 10 December 2002, the EU signed an agreement with the Republic of Iceland to enable its participation in the EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Lisbon Treaty does not give the EU any new powers to conclude international agreements. Any decision to sign a treaty with defence or security implications would require a decision by the Council acting in unanimity.

Departmental Data Protection

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether confidential or personal information has been compromised through the loss of property from his Department since 1997.

Meg Munn: Other than in exceptional cases, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on breaches of security. However, following the publication of the "Data Handling Procedures in Government: Interim progress Report" on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 98WS, all Departments will cover information assurance issues in their annual reports.

Departmental Travel

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department and its agencies spent on first class travel in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by staff grade.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes travel arrangements in the most efficient and cost effective way. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the code of management.
	As the information requested by the hon. Member is not held centrally it would incur disproportionate cost to collate.

Diego Garcia: Detainees

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of detainees being held on US ships stationed outside the three mile territorial waters of Diego Garcia; and if he will set up a public inquiry into whether there was British involvement in the rendition and detention of prisoners around Diego Garcia or elsewhere.

Kim Howells: We have received allegations about detainees being held on US ships stationed outside the three-mile territorial waters of Diego Garcia from a number of interested non-governmental organisations, including Amnesty International and Reprieve.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 21 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 547-48, outlined new information about two US rendition flights which passed through Diego Garcia. We are working closely with the US on the details and implications of this new information. As part of this work, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are compiling a list of all the flights where we have been alerted to concerns regarding rendition through the UK or our Overseas Territories. We will be seeking the US's specific assurance that none of those flights was used for rendition purposes. In advance of concluding this work, it would be inappropriate to speculate on whether a more formal inquiry is merited.
	On 5 March my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, also spoke to Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, about claims that he has evidence the US had detained terrorism suspects on Diego Garcia between 2003 and 2004. The Minister encouraged Mr. Nowak to provide the Government with any evidence he may have regarding these allegations.

Durban II

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will propose the inclusion of  (a) holocaust education and  (b) anti-Semitism for discussion at the April 2008 Durban II preparatory committee to be held in Geneva.

Meg Munn: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 11 March 2008,  Official Report, column 330W. The Government takes work on Holocaust education and remembrance very seriously and will seek opportunities with our EU partners to give Holocaust education and remembrance appropriate attention as negotiations continue.
	The UK was among a small number of countries that worked hard to ensure that the issue of anti-Semitism was included in the 2001 Declaration and Programme for Action. We will seek to ensure that anti-Semitism receives due attention at the Durban Review Conference.

Durban II

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with his Portuguese counterpart on the EU's position on Durban II before the 31 August 2007 preparatory committee meeting.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did not discuss the preparatory process for the Durban Review Conference with his Portuguese counterpart. UK Government officials in Geneva and Brussels continue to engage with other delegations on the preparatory process.

EC Common Foreign and Security Policy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he has received on the potential effects of the merging of the European Communities and the European Union in relation to Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European Security and Defence Policy for  (a) UK and  (b) international law.

Jim Murphy: The Lisbon Treaty replaces the 'European Community' (EC) with the 'European Union' (EU). This simplifies the existing position where there are two bodies—the EU and the EC—by providing that there will be just one body—the EU. As regards the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European Security and Defence Policy, there will be no effect on UK or international law, as these matters are already carried out by the EU.

Kristallnacht

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on commemorating the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not received any representations on commemorating the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht. The Government are fully committed to Holocaust remembrance and preserving the legacy of the Holocaust for present and future generations. This means a commitment to both Holocaust Memorial Day, which is marked on 27 January of each year, and to other significant anniversaries, such as the anniversary of Kristallnacht (9-10 November). The Government support the work of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Hazel Blears), represented the Government at the UK's national Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration this year, which took place at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
	The Government are also strongly committed to Holocaust remembrance and education in schools, and in February of this year pledged £4.65 million to the Holocaust Educational Trust to help fund two pupils from every sixth form in Britain to visit Auschwitz and participate in the activities of the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

Iran

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations on the training by Iran of (i) Hamas and (ii) Islamic Jihad; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK has serious concerns about Iran's role in the region, including its support to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. We have repeatedly raised these issues with the Government of Iran at a senior level and will continue to do so. Continuation of this type of behaviour will only lead to increased isolation for the Iranian regime and greater economic difficulty for the Iranian people.
	We have not taken any action at the UN.

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what payments  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Meg Munn: Neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, nor its agencies, have made any payments to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government's strategy for peace in Iraq as referred to by the former Prime Minister on 14 April 2003.

Kim Howells: As the then Prime Minister, the right hon. Tony Blair, said in his statement of 14 April 2003,  Official Report, columns 615-17, the Government's objective has always been to ensure that Iraq is run by Iraqis for all Iraqis. We have made progress towards this. In January 2005 Iraq held its first ever fully democratic elections, and in December 2005 just over 12 million people (76 per cent. of the electorate) voted in elections that put in place a fully representative Iraqi Parliament and permanent sovereign national Government.
	While the security situation in Iraq remains challenging, the transfer of security responsibility for nine provinces to the Iraqi authorities, including all four provinces in southern Iraq which were under British control, demonstrates the significant progress made in building the capability of the Iraqi security forces and the improving conditions on the ground.
	We do not underestimate the challenges ahead. Political reconciliation is needed if the recent improvements in security are to be sustainable and it is vital that Iraq fully realises its economic potential for the benefit all Iraqis. That is why we remain committed to fulfilling our obligations and will continue to support the people and Government of Iraq as they forge a future based on reconciliation, democracy, prosperity and security.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visas were issued in Pakistan to prospective visitors in all temporary categories between April 2006 and March 2007.

Kim Howells: The number of visas issued in temporary (non-settlement) categories in Pakistan between April 2006 and March 2007 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Visa category  Applications received  Issued  Refused 
			 European economic area family permits 517 424 61 
			 Family visit 89,125 55,914 31,668 
			 Working holidaymaker 1 — — 
			 Other visitor 66,982 42,201 24,361 
			 Student 28,228 11,490 15,902 
			 Transit 1,361 954 316 
			 Work permit 1,888 1,699 415 
			 Other Non-settlement 12,208 9,062 2,776 
			 Total 200,310 121,744 75,499 
			  Notes: 1. Please note that this data is unpublished and should be strictly treated as provisional. 2. Please note that decisions on some of the applications received were made after March 2007, and some of the applications issued/refused were received before April 2006. The working holidaymaker application was withdrawn.  Source: UKVisas central reference system. Date: 13 March 2008

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how many male foreign nationals from  (a) Pakistan and  (b) Bangladesh applied for a marriage visa with the sponsorship of a British woman who was under the age of 21 years in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many marriage visa applications by male foreign nationals from  (a) Pakistan and  (b) Bangladesh with the sponsorship of a British woman under the age of 21 years were successful in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of men from Pakistan or Bangladesh who have applied for  (a) two,  (b) three and  (c) four or more marriage visas each sponsored by a different British woman; and if he will make a statement.
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of British women who have applied as sponsors for marriage visas for the same man from Pakistan or Bangladesh  (a) once,  (b) twice,  (c) thrice and  (d) four or more times; and if he will make a statement.
	(5)  how many British women applied as sponsors for marriage visas for  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three and  (d) four or more men from Pakistan or Bangladesh in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not record such data. Information could only be obtained by examining individual visa application forms and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Saudi Arabia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Saudi Arabia.

Kim Howells: I can inform the hon. Member that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary intends to visit Saudi Arabia in the next few months. I visited the Kingdom on 23-24 February 2007.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the psychological pressure being applied by the Equatorial Guinea authorities to Simon Mann.

Meg Munn: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Mr. Mann's welfare remains our primary concern. We will continue to raise, with the Equatorial Guinea Government, the issue of maintaining regular consular access, and any concerns we have over the conditions of Mr. Mann's detention. Our Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea (resident in Abuja) raised Mr. Mann's welfare when he met the President of Equatorial Guinea on 6 March.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of allegations that Arab and Janjaweed militias in Darfur are being armed by the Government of Sudan.

Meg Munn: holding answer 18 March 2008
	We are aware of continuing reports of the Government of Sudan providing support to armed groups operating in Darfur and Chad, as well as of Chadian support to rebel groups fighting in Darfur. We have made clear to Sudan that support to armed groups is unacceptable and must stop, and the dangerous consequences of further military activity in West Darfur in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 12 March 2008,  Official Report, column 274, in the House that the international community will take action against any party that does not commit to a ceasefire and engage in the political process, including through pressing for further targeted sanctions.

Uganda: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that representatives of the Government attend a peace conference and signing of a peace deal between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army if invited.

Meg Munn: The details of a signing ceremony for the Final Peace Agreement between the Ugandan Government and the Lord's Resistance Army have not yet been disclosed. The Government intend to be represented at any ceremony, subject to being invited.

World War II: Genocide

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2571W, on World War II: genocide, if he will place in the Library copies of statements condemning President Ahmadinejad's statements questioning the Holocaust; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I will arrange for copies of statements condemning Iranian questioning of the Holocaust and anti-Israeli comments to be placed in the Library of the House. Such statements are abhorrent and we will continue to condemn them.

JUSTICE

Bail Hostels: Bodmin

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what consultation his Department plans to  (a) undertake or  (b) commission in relation to the future use of properties in Bodmin by the Bail Accommodation and Support Service;
	(2)  what consultations took place with  (a) local residents and  (b) North Cornwall district council on establishing a facility for use by the Bail Accommodation and Support Service at 9 Cherry Tree Close, Bodmin.

David Hanson: There are no current plans for a property in Bodmin for the Bail Accommodation and Support Service. Any future planning for properties in Cornwall will be determined by the South West Regional Offender Manager relative to need based on data on prisoner origins. ClearSprings will consult the Devon and Cornwall constabulary, the appropriate local authority and Devon and Cornwall probation on any future proposal to bring a property in Cornwall within the scheme.
	There is no requirement for ClearSprings to consult local residents about the provision of properties in their locale to people who are defendants on bail or offenders released on home detention curfew. Consultation with the North Cornwall district council about the property took place in February 2008.

Cemeteries

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 756W, on cemeteries, what progress has been made on proposals to allow local authorities to re-use graves in their cemeteries.

Bridget Prentice: Work on the practical details of how the scheme would operate is progressing well. Members of the Burial and Cemeteries Advisory Group have been helping us in developing these proposals. We expect to make an announcement about how the initiative will be taken forward, including a public consultation exercise, in the near future.

Departmental Official Cars

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what make and model of car  (a) he and  (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were applied when making the decision in each case.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 8W.
	As has been the practice under successive Administrations and in accordance with the ministerial code my car is provided by the Metropolitan Police. The make and model is therefore a matter for them.

Discrimination

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of his Department and its predecessor and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The ex-DCA centralised system holds the following information:
	
		
			  Year  Settled Claims 
			  Sex Discrimination  
			 January to December 2002 0 
			 January to December 2003 0 
			 January to December 2004 0 
			 January to December 2005 0 
			 January to December 2006 4 
			 January to December 2007 0 
			   
			  Race Discrimination  
			 January to December 2002 1 
			 January to December 2003 0 
			 January to December 2004 1 
			 January to December 2005 0 
			 January to December 2006 1 
			 January to December 2007 0 
		
	
	Any discrimination claims brought on the grounds of sexual orientation are included in the category of sexual discrimination.
	Information on whether the settlements were reached in or out of court is not held centrally. To obtain it would be at disproportionate cost.
	For NOMS and OCJR, the information is not held centrally in the format or time period requested. Since the database was created in January 2005, there have been no recorded cases in the categories requested.
	The Prison Service does not hold the information centrally in the format requested. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Drugs: Lancashire

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many residents of Lancashire were convicted of drug dealing in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of defendants found guilty for supply, and the possession with intent to supply drugs in the Lancashire police force area are in the following table. Information available to my Department cannot separate residents of Lancashire from other defendants found guilty in the Lancashire police force area.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for supply and the possession with intent to supply drugs in Lancashire police force area, 2002 to 2006( 1,2) 
			  Offence description  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug 174 222 156 151 153 
			 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply 95 119 135 142 165 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Illegal Broadcasting: Video Recordings

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 18 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2091W, on illegal broadcasting: video recordings, how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there were in 2006 for offences of the supply of video works to individuals who were under the age of the designated classification.

Maria Eagle: Data on the number of prosecutions and convictions under the Video Recording Act 1984, as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, in England and Wales for 2006 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Video Recording Act 1984, as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, in England and Wales 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Offence description 
			   Supplying video recording of unclassified work  Persons video recording of unclassified work for the purpose of supply  Supplying video recording of classified work in breach of classification  Certain video recordings only to be supplied in licensed sex shops  Supply of video recording not complying with requirements as to labels etc.  Supply of video recordings containing false indication as to classification 
			 Proceeded against 15 63 16 9 1 — 
			 Found guilty 12 53 8 8 — — 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Some of the statistics relate to illegal sales but it is not possible to tell whether these were necessarily sales to children. (4) Includes the following statutes and offence description: Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 9 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88. Supplying video recording of unclassified work. Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 10 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88. Persons video recording of unclassified work for the purpose of supply. Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 11 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88(4). Supplying video recording of classified work in breach of classification. Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 12 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88(5). Certain video recordings only to be supplied in licensed sex shops. Video Recording Act 1984 Sec 13. Supply of video recording not complying with requirements as to labels etc. Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 14 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88(6). Supply of video recordings containing false indication as to classification. Our reference: PQ 195009 (Table) (5) Nil  Source: Court Proceedings Database held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Juries: Mental Health

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the public consultation on the mental health criteria for jury duty, referred to in the report of the Social Exclusion Unit in June 2004, will be concluded.

Maria Eagle: Work is continuing on the drafting of a consultation paper on mental health and jury service and we expect to be in a position to publish the paper within the next few months. Under Cabinet Office guidelines three months should be allowed for public consultation; a summary of the views received and any decisions taken as a result of the consultation should be published within a further three months.

Magistrates Courts: Buxton

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the adequacy of facilities for  (a) disabled access,  (b) security and  (c) staff accommodation at Buxton magistrates court; and if he will take any necessary action to make improvements.

Maria Eagle: HMCS has assessed the requirements for DDA works at Buxton magistrates court and plans to make improvements next financial year. A full security inspection has also been programmed. No additional works have been sought or are planned to the staff accommodation.

Tribunals: Learning Disabilities

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he has issued on the  (a) extent and  (b) examples of reasonable adjustments expected by employment tribunals under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 in order to facilitate fair hearings for people with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Tribunals Service does not provide specific guidance on the provision of reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities attending a tribunal hearing. The Tribunals Service considers any request for a reasonable adjustment on a case by case basis as the specific requirements for each person will be different. However I shall raise this with/ask the Head of the Tribunals Service to consider issuing guidance.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

France (Channel)-England Operational Programme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisation provides the Joint Technical Secretariat for the France (Channel)-England Operational Programme; and where the secretariat is located.

John Healey: The Joint Technical Secretariat for the France (Channel)-England Operational Programme is employed by the programme and is located in Rouen.

France (Channel)-England Programme Managing Authority

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many representatives of  (a) her Department and  (b) the Government office for the south-east attended the launch event of the France (Channel)-England Programme Managing Authority in Rouen on 24 January 2008.

John Healey: The launch event of the France (Channel)-England Programme on the 24 January 2008 was attended by one official from Communities and Local Government and two officials from the Government office south-east.

Cemeteries: Monuments

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints the Local Government Ombudsman has received in the last 36 months in relation to the removal of headstones from cemeteries by local authorities.

John Healey: In the last 36 months, the Local Government Ombudsman has received 142 complaints relating to cemeteries and crematoria. Data on the specific nature of the complaints falling within this category are not collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Coastal Areas: Migration

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what modelling her Department has undertaken on migration patterns affecting coastal towns; and what account has been taken of that modelling in formulating Government policy in relation to those towns.

Hazel Blears: My Department produces household projections across all local authorities, including coastal areas. These are based on population projections published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) at a sub-national level that include estimates of migration. The ONS is undertaking a programme of work to improve population and migration statistics, including projections. In formulating strategies and plans, all places, including coastal towns, will need to assess demographic trends in their area. A cross-departmental working group on coastal towns has been established to consider the wider evidence base and policy issues affecting these towns.

Community Relations: Bingo

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the contribution made by bingo clubs to  (a) sustainable communities and  (b) social cohesion and inclusion.

Parmjit Dhanda: No such assessment has been made by my Department. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 March 2008,  Official Report, column. 2685W, by my right hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Sutcliffe).

Council Housing: Waiting Lists

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were on local authority waiting lists for social housing in  (a) England and  (b) each Government office region in (i) 1996 and (ii) 2007.

Iain Wright: The information requested is given in the table. Information on the number of households on local authorities' waiting lists broken down by Government office region and local authority for 1997 to 2007 is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600 at the following web address:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/144458.
	Copies of this table have also been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	
		
			  Households on local authorities' waiting lists for social housing, by Government office region: England 1996, 2007 
			  Number of households( 1) 
			  Government office region  1996  2007 
			 North East 82,220 90,570 
			 North West 144,550 212,600 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 164,710 270,070 
			 East Midlands 113,190 134,420 
			 West Midlands 96,660 121,050 
			 East of England 90,190 146,250 
			 London 178,660 333,860 
			 South East 107,110 208,420 
			 South West 84,890 157,180 
			 England 1,062,180 1,674,420 
			 (1) As reported by local authorities. Excludes households looking for transfers. Rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: 2007 data—Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA). 1996 data—Housing Investment programme. 
		
	
	Local authorities in England report the number of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. The size of the waiting list is not an indicator of absolute need; it is only useful as a broad indicator of housing demand in an area. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house.

Council Tax

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the costs of collecting council tax in 2007.

John Healey: Net current expenditure on collection of council tax in England in 2006-07 was published in "Annex A9 of Local Authority Revenue Expenditure and Financing: England 2006-07 Final Outturn" on 21 November 2007.
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/natstats.htm#rev

Council Tax: Local Government Finance

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was received by local authorities in council tax revenue in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c) 2005,  (d) 2006 and  (e) 2007.

John Healey: Details of the council tax collected in England from 2002-03 to 2006-07 are shown in the following table The figures are shown in £ million and are the cash amount collected within the year, irrespective of the year to which the money relates. The figures therefore include both arrears received for previous years and prepayment of council tax for subsequent years but exclude amounts funded by council tax benefit.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 14,511 
			 2003-04 16,392 
			 2004-05 17,508 
			 2005-06 18,419 
			 2006-07 19,315 
		
	
	Details of the income from council tax relating to each year taken into account by local authorities when setting their budgets are published in table 2.la of "Local Government Financial Statistics England No17 2007".

Council Tax: Oxfordshire

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tax valuations appeals there have been in Oxfordshire in the last three years, broken down by billing authority; and how many resulted in a lower banding being awarded.

John Healey: The numbers of council tax valuation appeals received and decided in the last three years were as follows:
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 to 13 March 2008 
			   Council tax valuation (CTV) appeals received  CTV appeals decided by tribunals  CTV appeals received  CTV appeals decided by tribunals  CTV appeals received  CTV appeals decided by tribunals 
			 Cherwell DC 105 11 98 25 122 13 
			 Oxford CC 144 29 90 13 171 13 
			 South Oxfordshire DC 128 30 104 17 114 9 
			 Vale of White Horse DC 98 12 123 21 143 7 
			 West Oxfordshire DC 132 31 166 19 104 15 
			 Total 607 113 581 95 654 57 
		
	
	Information about the numbers resulting in a lower banding being awarded could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which billing authorities had the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest Band D council tax, including all precepts, in England in 2007-08.

John Healey: Details of the level of Band D council tax in England in 2007-08 are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/data/ctaxtimes.xls

Departmental Publications

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the executive summary only of the Trees in Towns II report was published on her Department's website.

Iain Wright: holding answer 13 March 2008
	The full report of the Trees in Towns II research is 646 pages long and is available as a priced publication from Communities and Local Government Publications. It has been produced as a CD and includes a database of the tree survey data and an interactive mapping tool enabling detailed analysis of the data. The length and complexity of the report together with the associated database and software made publication on the Department's website inappropriate. Hard copies of the executive summary, which included the CD containing the full report, were placed in the Libraries of the House.

Eco-Towns: Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which authority will consider planning applications for new eco-town developments.

Caroline Flint: We would expect all applications for eco-towns to be considered as a normal planning application by the appropriate local planning authority unless called in by the Secretary of State.
	The Housing and Regeneration Bill currently being debated by this House, includes provision which gives the Secretary of State the power to designate an area and confer local planning authority functions on the Homes and Communities Agency in relation to that area. Such functions may include the determination of planning applications. There are currently no plans to use the designation powers for the delivery of eco-towns.

Eco-Towns: Regional Planning and Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether new dwellings constructed in eco-towns will be considered as windfall sites for the purposes of meeting regional spatial strategy targets.

Caroline Flint: Depending on progress towards future housing targets in regional and local plans, part of the eco-town housing may count towards the existing or emerging housing number. We will provide more details on this when we publish the short list of successful proposals.

Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what property attributes and data her Department collects from local authorities on the number of vacant domestic dwellings derived from council tax data; whether such data is broken down at ward level; what the mechanism for transferring the data is; and what the most recent period is for which such data is held.

John Healey: The annual survey of empty homes collects data on council tax discount and exemption codes which can be used to produce statistics indicative of the incidence of empty or second homes. No other attribute data are collected. The data are currently collected at property level so they can be aggregated to ward boundaries. The data are uploaded by local authorities through a secure departmental web-based data collection system. The latest data held are for April 2007.

Empty Property: Rates and Rating

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations  (a) within and  (b) outside Government she consulted before proposing amendments to the rules governing empty property rates.

John Healey: The decision to reform empty property rates followed the recommendations of the independent Barker Review into Land-Use Planning and the Lyons Inquiry into Local Government. A list of organisations and individuals who made representations to the reviews can be found in their reports.

Empty Property: Rates and Rating

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with regional development agencies on amendments to the rules governing empty property rates.

John Healey: The decision to reform empty property rates followed the recommendations of the independent Barker Review into Land-Use Planning and the Lyons Inquiry into Local Government to which the regional development agencies made submissions.

Fire Services: East of England

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she received a copy of the Eastern Counties Fire and Rescue Services Acetylene Incident Report concerning Incident 20350 on the A12 at Marks Tey on 5 October 2007; what assessment she has made of its conclusions and recommendation; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department has not received a report of the above acetylene incident from Essex Fire and Rescue Service.
	We have however received a 'Fire and Rescue Service and Gas Industry Feedback form for Cylinder Incidents' with respect to this incident.
	This feedback arrangement is part of the national 'Fires of Special Interest' reporting system and it is designed to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the 'Competent Persons' scheme. This is a scheme that offers expert industry advice to Fire and Rescue Services on cylinders involved in fires. The British Compressed Gas Association (BCGA) provides an Industry Support System to the Fire and Rescue Service (F and RS) and aims to assist the Incident Commander to effectively resolve the incident.
	The comments made on the feedback form for this incident will be analysed and acted upon as appropriate following the quarterly meeting between CLG officials and BCGA representatives on 28 March.

Government Office for London: ICT

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) IT and  (b) telephony costs were for the Government Office for London in 2007-08.

Parmjit Dhanda: IT is provided centrally for all Government Offices. The costs for London are expected to be approximately £893,000 for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 based on their headcount against the overall central IT budget. This excludes telephony.
	The costs for telephony for Government Office for London are expected to be £195,000 for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. Telephony was provided under a legacy contract which has now ceased. A new contract for telephony services covering all the Government Offices will provide significant savings both for Government Office for London and for the Government Office estate as a whole in 2008-09.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 230W, on home information packs (HIPs), for what reason the status of approved training provider for HIP and energy performance certificate inspectors was removed from Morgan Whittaker.

Caroline Flint: Morgan Whittaker's approved assessment centre status was removed by the awarding bodies as a result of a contractual matter between those parties involved.

Home Information Packs: Housing Market

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the impact of home information packs on the housing market.

Caroline Flint: A full assessment of the impact of home information packs (HIPs) on the housing market was carried out before the decision to roll out HIPs across the market on 14 December 2007. This assessment supported earlier modelling that found no evidence of any impact on transactions or prices. In addition, we have continued to monitor the operation of HIPs following the roll out across the market. All evidence points to a smooth introduction of HIPs.

Homelessness

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken in response to allegations of gate-keeping by local authority homelessness units where those approaching for assistance are prevented from making an official homelessness application.

Iain Wright: We continue to emphasise to local authorities that their efforts to prevent homelessness must work alongside their obligations under homelessness legislation. In particular, the revised Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities, published in July 2006, makes clear that when considering applications for assistance, authorities must not avoid their obligations under the legislation. This was emphasised by my right hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) in her letter of 12 April 2006.
	We undertake regular analysis of the homelessness statistics reported quarterly by individual housing authorities. If these reveal a notable reduction in acceptances in any area, a specialist adviser from the Housing Strategy and Support Directorate will contact the authority to discuss how this has been achieved. This helps to identify good practice in homelessness prevention which can be shared with other authorities, as well as safeguarding against any risk of "gate-keeping".

Homes and Communities Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers the Homes and Communities Agency will have to develop areas where such development is not supported by the local authority.

Caroline Flint: The Homes and Communities Agency will, like any other developer, be required to secure planning permission for any proposed development. The agency will not be able to circumvent the planning system in any way, and will have no powers to allow it to develop areas against the wishes of the local authority.
	If a local authority is against a particular kind of development within its area this should be clear from the local development framework. Such an omission would afford the local planning authority the opportunity to dismiss any planning application that was brought forward that proposed such a development on the grounds that it did not meet with the agreed and adopted plans for the area.
	Where an application for development is not in accordance with the development plan a local planning authority will consider whether there are any material considerations which justify approving the application in any event, for example it could include where the proposed development would bring wider benefits to the local area.

Homes and Communities Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates the Homes and Communities Agency will  (a) be formally constituted and  (b) commence its work.

Caroline Flint: The Homes and Communities Agency can only be formally constituted after the Housing and Regeneration Bill has received Royal Assent.

Housing: Immigration

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the assumption in the Budget of net migration of 190,000 per year, what estimate she has made of the effects of net migration on housing demand; how many additional households will be generated a year on the basis of this assumption; and what the Government's previous estimate was of the number of additional households generated by net migration.

Iain Wright: holding answer 18 March 2008
	The assumption of 190,000 per year net migration into the UK is the principal long term assumption in the Office for National Statistics' 2006-based population projections. The equivalent assumption for net migration into England is 171,500 per year. An assessment of the impact on household growth of this migration assumption will be made as part of updated household projections that are planned later this year, following publication by the Office for National Statistics of the 2006-based sub-national population projections.
	The 2004-based household projections, for England, showed that one third of the projected household growth of 223,000 per year was attributable to net migration into England. The underlying 2004-based population projection assumed 130,000 per year net migration into England compared with 171,500 per year in the 2006-based national population projection.

Housing: Lancashire

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Government funding has been allocated to Morecambe and Lunesdale for housing regeneration since 1997.

Caroline Flint: Allocations to Lancaster city council, which includes Morecambe in its area, of capital funding for housing purposes over the period 1997-98 to 2007-08 exceeds £40 million. This includes the major repairs allowance first introduced in 2001-02 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the decent homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010.
	In addition, just over £20 million has been made available to Lancaster through funding from the Housing Corporation.

Housing: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial assistance was given to Shrewsbury borough council to help provide affordable housing in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Iain Wright: In March 2006 the Government announced investment of nearly £4 billion from 2006-08 to deliver 84,000 new affordable homes in the Housing Corporation's national affordable housing programme (NAHP).
	Under the NAHP Shrewsbury borough council was allocated:
	2005-06: £347,000;
	2006-07: £3 million; and
	2007-08: £3 million.

Housing: Thames Gateway

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the yearly target is for the number of new residential dwellings to be built in the Thames Gateway area; and what the geographical scope is of the target.

Caroline Flint: The Government's target is for a net increase of 160,000 new dwellings to be provided throughout the entire Thames Gateway over the period from April 2001 to March 2016 inclusive. The rate of delivery is not expected to be consistent over that period and a substantial acceleration in the rate of housebuilding is expected in the latter part of the period as a number of very large sites—which necessarily involve long lead times—come on stream. The target has not been broken down into annual increments.
	The current boundary of the Thames Gateway—and the boundary to which the housing target applies—is as illustrated in the Government's 2003 publication: "The Sustainable Communities Plan", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Infrastructure Planning Commission: Sustainable Development

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria the Infrastructure Planning Commission will use on sustainability in its assessment of development proposals.

John Healey: The Infrastructure Planning Commission will take decisions on applications for development consent for nationally significant infrastructure within the framework provided by national policy statements, which will integrate economic, social and environment objectives with the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development.

INTERACT Programme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what contribution her Department makes to the delivery of the European Union's INTERACT programme.

John Healey: My Department has been involved in the development of the INTERACT programmes through leading the UK representation on working groups overseeing its preparation and agreeing the priorities and work programme.

INTERREG Programme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the consultation documents produced by her Department as part of the Interreg IVA 2 Seas Operational Programme.

John Healey: I have placed a copy of the consultation letter and draft operational programme on which it invited comments in the Library of the House.

Licensed Premises: Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes have been made to the planning regime affecting premises licensed to sell alcohol since May 1997.

Iain Wright: The Government have made significant changes to the planning system since May 1997. Of particular relevance to premises licensed to sell alcohol are the changes which the Government have made to the Use Classes Order and the Government's planning policy for town centre development.
	Changes to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 came into force on 21 April 2005, as set out in Circular 03/2005. This amended Order disaggregated the former A3: Food and Drink use Class into three separate use classes to give local planning authorities more influence over the number, size, range and distribution of premises licensed to sell alcohol in their areas. The new A4: "Drinking Establishments" class caters specifically for pubs and bars i.e. places where the primary purpose is the sale and consumption of alcoholic drink on the premises.
	The Government's key planning policy, which applies to premises licensed to sell alcohol, is Planning Policy Statement 6: "Planning for Town Centres" (PPS6), published in 2005, which replaces Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 (DoE, 1996). PPS6 applies to a broad range of uses, including bars, pubs, night-clubs and other leisure uses. It contains specific policy on how to manage evening and night-time economy uses. It should be taken into account by planning authorities in the preparation of local planning policies and in the consideration of planning applications.
	PPS6 should be read alongside other relevant statements of national planning policy which have been published since 1997, in particular "Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development", which is the Government's overarching planning policy and which includes policy on design and crime prevention, and "Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport" which includes guidance on how local planning authorities should manage travel demand.

Lichfield District Council: Council Tax

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the ratio of central Government funding council tax revenue for Lichfield district council was in each of the last eight years.

John Healey: The ratios between central Government funding and council tax requirement for Lichfield district council are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Central Government funding (£000)  Council tax requirement (£000)  Ratio 
			 1999-2000 4,562 3,672 1.24 
			 2000-01 5,003 3,821 1.31 
			 2001-02 5,086 4,129 1.23 
			 2002-03 5,205 4,428 1.18 
			 2003-04 6,384 4,770 1.34 
			 2004-05 5,651 5,128 1.10 
			 2005-06 6,420 5,413 1.19 
			 2006-07 7,566 5,817 1.30 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns 
		
	
	Local authority council tax requirement is the council tax available to finance revenue expenditure, not council tax collected.
	Central Government funding is defined here as the sum of Formula grant (Revenue Support Grant and redistributed non-domestic rates) and Specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services.
	Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.
	Comparisons across years may not be valid owing to changing local authority responsibilities.

Local Authorities: Contract Compliance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department and its predecessors have issued to local authorities on  (a) misfeasance,  (b) nonfeasance and  (c) malfeasance in the last five years.

John Healey: No guidance has been issued on these matters in the last five years.

Local Government Finance: Landfill Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether payments will be made to local authorities over each of the next three years in relation to the costs of the landfill tax.

John Healey: The Government worked closely with local authorities to identify the cost pressures on local authorities resulting from their waste management responsibilities over the next three financial years, including the pressure created by the increase in the landfill tax escalator announced in Budget 2007, in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. These were taken into account in the Formula Grant settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11. This funding is not hypothecated to a particular service or in respect to a particular cost.

Local Government Finance: Newcastle-under-Lyme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government at what level within her Department the misallocation of Local Authority Business Growth Incentive funds to Newcastle-under-Lyme was authorised.

John Healey: Payments under the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives scheme (LABGI) are made by means of a grant determination under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. Each grant determination is made by a Minister and signed on his or her behalf by a senior civil servant.

Local Government: Pay

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average change in local government employee wages was in each year since 1996-97; and what the cost of the local government wage bill was in each of those years.

John Healey: Information on local government wages is not held centrally. Information on local government pay is published in "Local Government Finance Statistics", at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/index.htm

Local Government: Pay

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role her Department has in relation to the national pay review of local authority officers.

John Healey: National pay agreements are negotiated in the National Joint Council between trade unions and the local government employers. I am not aware of any national pay review of local authority officers.

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation: Public Appointments

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role her Department has played in the appointment of individuals to the planning committee of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

Caroline Flint: The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee currently consists of nine members. Seven of these members are members of the Corporation Board. They were appointed to the Planning Committee by the chairman of the Corporation.
	Two members of the Planning Committee are co-opted and are not members of the Corporation Board. They were also appointed by the chairman of the board with the consent of the Secretary of State, following advertising the positions, shortlisting and interviews. The Department approved the design of the appointment process. The process itself, including the shortlisting and interviews, was run by the Corporation.

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation: Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role  (a) her Department or its predecessor,  (b) her Department's agencies and  (c) the Government Office for London played in the appointment of Mr. Alan Clark to the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

Caroline Flint: Mr. Alan Clark was appointed to the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Board by the chairman of the Corporation following an appointment process involving advertising the position, short listing and interview. The Secretary of State gave her consent to the appointment following this process. The process was approved by the Department and run by the Corporation itself.

Non-domestic Rates: Churches

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the rateable value of all churches and other places of worship in England which are exempt from business rates.

John Healey: Valuation officers do not value properties that are exempt from rates.

Non-Domestic Rates: Crossrail

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how many years the supplementary business rate for Crossrail on London businesses will last.

John Healey: "Business rate supplements: a White Paper" makes clear that it will be for individual authorities, including the GLA, to decide how long their business rate supplements would last. The proposed duration will be one of the matters the GLA will need to cover in its plans which will be the basis for statutory consultation. The Mayor wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport setting out his thinking and I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 133-4WS.

Non-Domestic Rates: Crossrail

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which public authorities will bear the liability of any cost over-runs on the Crossrail scheme; and what liability London firms paying the supplementary business rate will have.

John Healey: General questions on funding of Crossrail are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, and I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 133-34WS, and the answer given by her to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Malins) on 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1294W.
	The liability of any businesses paying a business rate supplement, including businesses in London paying a supplement as part of the funding package for Crossrail, would not be able to exceed the national upper limit of 2p per pound of rateable value specified in "Business rate supplements: a White Paper". The GLA and any other authority that wishes to levy a supplement, would, as the White Paper sets out, be required to set out the way in which it would deal with differences between planned and outrun expenditure as part of its statutory consultation on a proposed supplement.

Non-domestic Rates: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her timetable is for the publication of valuation information arising from the revaluation undertaken for non-domestic rates calculation in 2010.

John Healey: Draft 2010 rateable values will be published in the autumn of 2009, with final valuations being published on 1 April 2010.

Ordnance Survey

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether private companies were consulted on Ordnance Survey's draft revised Public Task before it was approved;
	(2)  whether the  (a) GI Panel and  (b) Association for Geographic Information were consulted on Ordnance Survey's draft revised Public Task before it was approved. [Official Report, 26 March 2008, Vol. 474, c. 2MC.]

Iain Wright: In April 2007, Ministers from the Department asked Ordnance Survey and the Shareholder Executive to work together to prepare a more precise articulation of Ordnance Survey's Public Task, as set out in the Ordnance Survey Framework Document 2004. This work was undertaken between April and June 2007 in preparation for the publication of a revised Framework Document for Ordnance Survey.
	As has been the case with the preparation of previous versions of the Ordnance Survey Framework Document, there were no external consultations on the Public Task, which fundamentally articulates that defined in such successive Ordnance Survey Framework Document since 1990, but in a more precise and comprehensive way.

Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has for independent assessment of national policy statements on planning.

John Healey: The Government are committed to ensuring that national policy statements are subject to public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny before they are designated. It is for Parliament to determine the nature of the scrutiny process. However, we have encouraged the House to set up arrangements which draw on the expertise of the four relevant departmental Select Committees for the purpose.
	I am discussing this issue with the Leader of the House and the Chairs of the four Select Committees, with a view to developing recommendations which can be put to House in due course.

Planning Inspectorate

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will review the scope and powers of the Planning Inspectorate.

Iain Wright: The Planning Inspectorate was subject to an end to end review in 2003; the published report is available in the Library of the House. Since then, both the Barker and Eddington reviews have looked at the effectiveness of the planning system as a whole of which PINS forms an integral part. The Planning Bill currently progressing through Parliament draws on all of those earlier reviews in proposing enabling legislation to make the appeals system more proportionate, efficient and customer based.

Planning: EU Law

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether national policy statements under the provision of the Planning Bill will be required to be assessed under the  (a) EU Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive and  (b) EU Habitats Directive; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: All national policy statements will be subject to appraisal of the sustainability of the policies they contain. Some will also be required to be assessed under the regulations which transpose the EU Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive and the EU Habitats Directive. The Government will carry out assessments in all cases where they are required by the regulations, as part of the appraisal of sustainability.

Public Lavatories: Closures

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many municipal public conveniences have  (a) closed and  (b) commenced charging for use since 1997.

John Healey: The provision and maintenance of toilets in public places is at the discretion of local authorities who have, under section 87 of the Public Health Act 1936, a power to provide public conveniences, but no duty to do so. For this reason, the information requested is not centrally held by Communities and Local Government.

Recreation Spaces

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of town green applications remained undecided after  (a) two and  (b) five years on the latest date for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not held centrally. However, a survey of commons registration authorities in England was undertaken in September 2007. Allowing for authorities which did not respond, we estimate that 14 applications made in 2003 and 79 applications made in 2006 had not been determined by the date of the survey.

Recreation Spaces

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average time taken for processing a town green application was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not held centrally. However, according to the findings of a survey of commons registration authorities in England, undertaken in September 2007, the average time for processing town and village green applications made under section 13(b) of the Commons Registration Act 1965 was 16 months.

Regeneration: Coastal Areas

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to encourage economic regeneration in coastal resorts.

John Healey: The Government's Review of Sub National Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR) will help empower local authorities in coastal resorts and other areas to drive local prosperity, economic growth and regeneration. My Department will issue a consultation document on the SNR shortly. This will include a proposal for a new statutory duty on local authorities to carry out an economic assessment of their area, in consultation with local partners, and take account of their wider economic area. The assessment will also support the development of new integrated regional strategies.
	The Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have a key role to play in helping coastal areas in their regions to achieve their full economic potential, as part of wider regional strategies to deliver sustainable growth. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) through its regional presence will also support the delivery of sustainable regeneration and growth in coastal areas.
	My Department is supporting the South East Economic Development Agency (SEEDA) in setting up an RDA-led Coastal Areas Network. This will play an important role in bringing together national, regional and local authority stakeholders to improve co-ordination and sharing best practice in delivering economic growth and regeneration in coastal towns. The first meeting of the Network is scheduled for May.
	This Network complements a cross-government working group on coastal towns, led by my Department, which is promoting a co-ordinated approach to addressing issues affecting coastal towns, including economic regeneration.

Regeneration: Coastal Areas

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to encourage economic regeneration in coastal resorts.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today to question 194034.

Sustainable Development: Urban Areas

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the right hon. Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz) of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 53W, on sustainable development: urban areas, when the first eco-town will be completed.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 120W.

Temporary Accommodation: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were housed in temporary accommodation by Tamworth Borough Council in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level. This information includes the number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty. The duty owed to an accepted household is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Tables summarising homelessness figures for each local authority for the past 10 years, including the total number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of each year, have been placed in the House of Commons Library. An extract from the table is provided as follows and gives the number of households in temporary accommodation in Tamworth as at the end of each financial year, from 1997-08 to 2006-07:
	
		
			  Table B:  Number of house holds in temporary accommodation , March 1998  to  March 2007 
			  Tamworth 
			 1997-98 83 
			 1998-99 88 
			 1999-2000 92 
			 2000-01 105 
			 2001-02 94 
			 2002-03 83 
			 2003-04 (1)— 
			 2004-05 131 
			 2005-06 (1)__ 
			 2006-07 63 
			 (1)( )Denotes data not reported 
		
	
	The figures include those households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, those for which inquiries into whether they are owed the duty are pending and those who were found to be intentionally homeless but are being accommodated for a reasonable period by the LA. It excludes households designated as "homeless at home", that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable alternative accommodation as those in accommodation arranged by the authority.
	Data are also published in our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness, which includes a supplementary table showing the breakdown of key data, including temporary accommodation for each local authority. The supplementary tables are published on our website and placed in the Library each quarter. The latest release was published on 10 March 2008 and contains data for the period October to
	December 2007:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/

Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee: Business Interests

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether members of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee are required to  (a) submit declarations of interests to a monitoring officer and  (b) make a declaration of their political activity on taking up the post.

Caroline Flint: The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee currently consists of nine members. Seven of those members are members of the corporation board, appointed to the board by the Secretary of State. They were appointed to the planning committee by the chairman of the corporation.
	Two members of the planning committee are not members of the board. They were appointed by the chairman of the board with the consent of the Secretary of State, following an appointment process involving advertising the position, shortlisting and interviews.
	All members of the planning committee (board and non board) have to complete a corporation declaration of interest form and keep this updated. At each planning committee meeting members have to declare any interests.
	All members of the planning committee (board and non board) have to comply with the corporation's code of practice, which contains guidance on acceptable political activities. As part of the appointment process for non board members all applicants were required to complete a political activity questionnaire.

Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the annual remuneration is of  (a) a member and  (b) the chairman of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee.

Caroline Flint: The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee currently consists of nine members. Seven of those members are members of the corporation board, appointed to the board by the Secretary of State. They were appointed to the planning committee by the chairman of the corporation.
	Two members of the committee are not members of the board. They were appointed by the chairman of the board with the consent of the Secretary of State, following an appointment process involving advertising the position, shortlisting and interviews.
	Corporation board members are not paid any additional amount for being on the planning committee. This is included in their normal board remuneration fee.
	Non board members are paid on a daily rate. It is estimated that they will receive £6,000 per annum related to planning committee activity.

Valuation Office

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's standard form, VO6403.

John Healey: A copy of the Valuation Office Agency's form used to record information about a licensed property if inspected (VO6403) has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Valuation Office: Publications

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date the Valuation Office Agency document Dwellinghouse coding: An Illustrated Guide was  (a) first published and  (b) most recently updated.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the former Local Government Minister on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1596-97W.

Village Halls: Finance

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she last discussed the funding of village halls with the Secretaries of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and for Culture, Media and Sport.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Secretary of State has held no such discussions.

TREASURY

Child Benefit: Fraud

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many attempts to defraud the child benefit system through the use of false documents were made in each of the last five years; what steps have been taken to detect these; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of these measures; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Rigorous checks are carried out on all claims to child benefit prior to payment. The most recent estimate of the level of child benefit fraud indicates that it is around 0.2 per cent. of the payments made.

Child Benefit: Overseas Residence

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information is disclosed to other EU countries in order for them to verify claims for child benefit or its equivalent made by UK citizens in those countries.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark) on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 48W.
	A copy of the E 400 series forms, which are used by member states to verify the composition of the family in the state and to gather information about entitlement to family benefits in the state of residence are published in the  Official Journal (OJ) of the European Union (OJ ref.: L129 of 23.5.2005).

Children: Death

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children have died as a result of drug dependency on the part of their mothers in the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 March 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children have died as a result of drug dependency on the part of their mothers in the last 12 months, (195442)
	This information is not available from death registration data.

Cole Layer Trumble

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on payments to Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies funded via the public purse  (a) directly from the Valuation Office Agency,  (b) directly from HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) indirectly via CapGemini under the ASPIRE contract.

Jane Kennedy: For payments to between 2003-04 and 2005-06 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1328W by the then Minister for Local Government my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas). Subsequent payments have totalled £481,646 in the year 2006-07 and £40,217 (to end February 2007) in the year 2007-08. All figures exclude non-recoverable VAT.

Council Tax: Appeals

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 1 February 2008,  Official Report, column 688W, on council tax: appeals, how many individual domestic properties in England had their council tax band reduced as a result of a council tax appeal made by them or by a property in the vicinity in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08.

Jane Kennedy: There are approximately 22.4 million homes in England. The numbers of valid proposals to alter council tax valuation lists in respect of these, received in the last three years (to October 2007, the latest figures available), which have resulted in a lower banding, are as follows:
	
		
			   Valid proposals resulting in a lower banding 
			 2005-06 9,756 
			 2006-07 4,698 
			 2007-08 (to October 2007) 249 
		
	
	Information about re-bandings following an appeal made by a property in the vicinity can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Parking

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2497W, on council tax: parking, how many domestic dwellings in England have been assigned the value significant codes of  (a) VC,  (b) VE,  (c) VH,  (d) VI,  (e) VL,  (f) VM,  (g) VO,  (h) VP,  (i) VR and  (j) VS.

Jane Kennedy: As at 3 March 2008 the relevant numbers were:
	
		
			   Number 
			 VC 9,150 
			 VE 25,667 
			 VH 2,945 
			 VI 1,632 
			 VL 1,436 
			 VM 466 
			 VO 19,969 
			 VP 3,192 
			 VR 12,239 
			 VS 3,200 
		
	
	A comprehensive exercise to capture information about all value significant features of all domestic properties has not been undertaken and nor is one planned. These data should not be interpreted as definitive, nor is it correct to say that properties assigned these codes will automatically have their council tax banding adjusted upwards.

Council Tax: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model for English council tax valuations makes of locality adjustment factors.

Jane Kennedy: Locality adjustment factors are not currently used for council tax valuations in England.

Council Tax: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether additional noise and disturbance arising from a change in road traffic is a material change affecting a dwelling for the purposes of council tax valuations.

Jane Kennedy: Clarification of the law on this matter is currently being sought from the Court of Appeal.

Discrimination

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of his Department and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: No claims were brought by Treasury officials.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the fuel duty increase from 1st April 2008 on British hauliers, with particular reference to their ability to compete with other EU hauliers.

Angela Eagle: The Budget announced that the 2 pence per litre fuel duty rise scheduled for 1 April will be deferred until 1 October 2008, responding to short-term economic conditions while ensuring stability long term.
	The Government set out their policy on fuel duty in Budget 2007, to raise duty rates at least in line with inflation based in order to reduce polluting emissions and fund public services. For this reason, the Budget announced that fuel duty will rise by 0.5 pence per litre above indexation on 1 April 2010.
	In taking taxation decisions as part of the Budget process the Government consider a range of factors including relevant environmental, social and economic factors—including those relating to specific industry sectors—into consideration.
	The Haulage Industry Task Group, including representatives of the haulage industry, considered the operating costs faced by UK and EU hauliers. It recognised that within cost differentials, the fuel tax differential is partially offset by lower labour taxes and other employer costs in the UK, and overall operating costs are similar to Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany.

Hearing Impaired

Andy Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision is made for deaf people to access services provided by his Department through call centres.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury does not provide services through call centres.

Households: Surveys

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency will have access to data from the integrated household survey.

Jane Kennedy: There are no plans for the Valuation Office Agency to have access to or use of this data.

Households: Surveys

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) timetable,  (b) purpose and  (c) budget is of the integrated household survey.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 March 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding what are the (a) timetable, (b) purpose and (c) budget of the Integrated Household Survey. 194762
	The Integrated Household Survey (IHS) is a new modular survey being introduced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to replace four of its existing household surveys. Implementation of the new survey began in January 2008 when new questionnaires replaced the Expenditure and Food Survey, the General Household Longitudinal Survey and the Omnibus Survey. From April 2008, a new housing module of the IHS commissioned by the Communities and Local Government department will be introduced. Full implementation of the survey is expected to be completed in 2009 by when a new survey module will have replaced the Labour Force Survey and a new sample design will be in place for all modules of the IHS.
	Each IHS module has a common set of core questions along with topic-specific questions. Once the survey has been implemented in full, operational efficiencies will result from improved sample design and the ability to manage field interviewers' workload more flexibly. The survey will also allow a greater range of statistical analyses across the survey modules and improve the precision of some estimates. The IHS will also provide a high quality, adaptable and efficient survey mechanism for meeting the Government's future information needs.
	It is estimated that expenditure on developing and implementing this survey will total £3.5 million, in addition to the on-going annual costs of running each of the component surveys.

Income Tax

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1367W, on income tax, what proportion of those receiving an income tax self-assessment tax return overstated their tax liability in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available.

International Assistance: Palestinians

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has issued to financial institutions on the opening of accounts to fund humanitarian and other welfare support schemes for Palestinian people.

Angela Eagle: Any individual, charity or voluntary organisation opening a bank account in the United Kingdom must, in line with the requirements of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, satisfy the relevant financial institution as to their identity. Financial institutions are also required to maintain appropriate records and monitor accounts. The precise requirements will vary depending on the legal form and structure of the person opening the account.
	Guidance from the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group provides advice on the identification and verification requirements that financial institutions must apply to charities and other similar groups. That guidance was updated in 2007, and was approved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is available at:
	http://www.jmlsg.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=749
	In addition groups wishing to constitute themselves as registered charities in England and Wales will have to satisfy the requirements of the Charity Commission. There are separate arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Landfill Tax

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of the income he will receive from the landfill levy that will be allocated to environmental trusts and business resource efficiency and waste through tax foregone in the years  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the income that he will receive from the landfill levy in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and (c) 2010.

Angela Eagle: Forecast landfill tax receipts for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are published in Table C6 of the 2008 Financial Statement and Budget Report available at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/7/3/bud08_chapterc.pdf.
	For 2007-08, landfill operators are able to receive a tax credit for contributions to environmental bodies under the Landfill Communities Fund worth up to 6.6 per cent. of their gross landfill tax liabilities. Budget 2008 announced that the percentage cap for 2008-09 will be 6.0 per cent. No announcement has yet been made about the applicable percentage for years beyond 2008-09.
	The business resource efficiency and waste programme is not funded via tax foregone.

Landfill Tax

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what form the consultation on the removal of the landfill tax contaminated land exemption in respect of waste from contaminated land disposed of to landfill on or after 1 April 2012 will take; and how long the consultation will last.

Angela Eagle: The Government undertook last year a 12-week consultation exercise on their plans to reform land remediation relief and to phase out the landfill tax exemption for waste from clearing contaminated land. The Government also informally sought feedback to their response to the consultation when it was published last December.
	Following the Budget 2008 announcement the Government plan to consult this summer on the draft legislation for both of these reforms. Further details, including the length of this consultation exercise, will be published nearer the time.

Revenue and Customs: Whitehaven

Jamie Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take account of the spare capacity at Whitehaven HM Revenue and Customs Office in distributing that department's workload.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC has surplus office space in many areas, including Whitehaven, following the merger of two departments and the staff efficiency savings since April 2004. The current availability of additional office capacity is clearly an issue in considering future plans but the main drivers are future business needs and current staffing.

Stamp Duties: Tax Allowances

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims there have been for stamp duty tax relief for zero-carbon homes since 1 January 2008.

Angela Eagle: Of those transactions for which a stamp duty land tax certificate was issued between 1 January 2008 and 29 February 2008, three transactions claimed the stamp duty land tax relief for new zero-carbon homes. No data currently exist for March.
	The tax relief is designed to help kick-start the market for new highly efficient technologies in homes, both for the fabric of the building and in the use of microgeneration, and sets a gold standard for green homes.
	We expect the number of qualifying transactions to rise as more properties eligible to claim the relief go on the market. For example, in December 2007, the Government announced details of 200 new homes to be built to a zero-carbon standard in Hanham Hall, near Bristol. The media release can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/611694
	The Government are committed to conducting an interim review of the relief in 2010 which will examine the effectiveness of the relief in stimulating the innovation necessary to ensure that all new homes are built to a zero-carbon standard from 2016.

Taxation: Pensions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions on proposals to tax 420,000 small pensions retrospectively for the tax year 2007-08; if he will place in the Library a copy of Treasury Counsel's opinion to HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 3 March 2008
	Pensions are subject to income tax and, for private pensions, tax should be deducted at source under PAYE, where appropriate. The vast majority of private pensions are being taxed correctly but some pension providers have not deducted tax under PAYE from all pensions in payment. For the minority of pensions where tax has not previously been collected as it should have been, HMRC are advised that they are required to ensure the position is rectified from the current year (2007-08). HMRC have discussed with the Department for Work and Pensions the implications of correcting the tax position from 2007-08 for entitlement to Pension Credits and other income-related benefits. HMRC's legal advice from Treasury Counsel is considered to have legal professional privilege and therefore will not be disclosed.

Taxation: Pensions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of  (a) the total tax liability that would be incurred by pensioners under HM Revenue and Customs' proposals to tax 420,000 small pensions retrospectively for the year 2007-08,  (b) the income profile of the individuals affected and  (c) the average income of those affected; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 3 March 2008
	There are no plans to impose tax retrospectively. The vast majority of private pensions are already being taxed correctly but some pension providers have not deducted tax under PAYE from all pensions in payment. HMRC are advised that they must ensure that from 2007-08 tax is collected in respect of pensions previously treated incorrectly. The total amount of tax due from these pensions for 2007-08 is estimated to be £135 million.
	Until more information is available following the end of the tax year, it is not possible to accurately identify the income profile or average income of pensioners in receipt of these pensions.

Taxation: Pensions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communications have been sent from  (a) HM Revenue and Customs to pensions providers,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs to the individuals concerned and  (c) from pension providers to the individuals concerned to inform them about the proposed retrospective tax liability that would be incurred by 420,000 small pensions for the tax year 2007-08; when they were sent; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 3 March 2008
	A small minority of private pensions have for some years not been correctly taxed. HMRC has written to all pension providers to explain the necessity of producing full details of all pension payments for 2007-08 together with the tax deducted, if any, through the normal PAYE end-of-year procedures. This will enable those pensions which have previously been taxed incorrectly to be identified. Information is available to people on HMRC's website, but HMRC has not been able to contact people individually because they cannot yet be identified. Communications between pension providers and their pensioners are a matter for the companies.

Tolls

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Office for National Statistics classifies  (a) the London congestion charge,  (b) workplace parking charges under the Transport Act 2000,  (c) congestion charging or road pricing,  (d) municipal parking charges for on-street parking and  (e) municipal parking charges for off-street parking as taxation for statistical purposes.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 March 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on whether the Office for National Statistics classifies a number of road and parking charges as taxation for statistical purposes (194775).
	In general charges for using roads or car parks, whether for driving on or parking, are classified as payments for the use of an asset. This is in accordance with international standards used to produce the National Accounts. A tax is defined in these standards as a 'compulsory and unrequited payment', the latter part of the phrase meaning where the payer does not directly receive anything in return.
	One exception to this generality, which falls into your category 'municipal parking charges for on-street parking', is where an emissions-based charging policy is used. In this case the charges are classified as a tax.

Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultancy work Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies (CLT) is providing to the Valuation Office Agency further to CLT's contract with CapGemini in relation to council tax  (a) valuations and  (b) revaluations.

Jane Kennedy: None.

Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what office space is provided to representatives of Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies by the Valuation Office Agency in relation to their work for the agency.

Jane Kennedy: None.

Valuation Office: Documents

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency plans to introduce an electronic document and records management system.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency has yet to decide if it will introduce an electronic document and records management system.

Valuation Office: ICT

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the user guides for the Valuation Office Agency's  (a) server version of OASIS and  (b) automated valuation model software.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 January 2006,  Official Report, column 250W to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman).

Valuation Office: ICT

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 508W, on the Valuation Office: ICT, what the budget for the development of the geographic information system is.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the previous answer given by my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury on 17 March 2008,  Official Report, column 887W.

Valuation Office: ICT

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 508W, on the Valuation Office: ICT, whether the Geographic Information System will be integrated into the Automated Valuation Model.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency's business requirement is that the proposed Geographic Information System will integrate with its existing property-related applications, including the automated valuation model technology.

Valuation Office: ICT

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 508W, on the Valuation Office: ICT, whether the geographic information system will be used to assist the Valuation Office Agency's work on council tax valuations.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency's (VGA's) proposed Geographic Information System (GIS) will better manage, display and analyse the VOA's property-related information in geo-spatial form. This will allow the Agency to undertake a number of its functions, including those statutory duties relating to council tax, in a more efficient and effective way.

Valuation Office: Rightmove

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 31 January 2008,  Official Report, column 680W, on the Valuation Office Agency: Rightmove, what the timetable is for the Valuation Office Agency to come to its operational decision on whether to extend the contract.

Jane Kennedy: No firm timetable has been set.

VAT: Administration

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time for processing new value added tax registrations was in each of the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The average processing times for VAT registration applications for the last 12 months is as follows:
	
		
			  Period  Average time taken (in days ) 
			  2007  
			 March 29 
			 April 33 
			 May 38 
			 June 41 
			 July 39 
			 August 42 
			 September 39 
			 October 28 
			 November 18 
			 December 17 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 16 
			 February 12 
		
	
	The significant upturn in performance in recent months reflects the improvement measures introduced by HM Revenue and Customs to tackle the difficulties that there have been with registering new businesses for VAT.

VAT: Fraud

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the identity cards scheme to the tackling of missing trader intra-community fraud.

Jane Kennedy: The National Identity Scheme Delivery Plan 2008 puts emphasis on opportunities for individuals to assert and protect their identities. The scheme was published on 6 March 2008 and seeks views on how to deliver benefits to card holders.
	A copy of the delivery plan can be found at:
	http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/national-identity-scheme-delivery-2008.pdf

Welfare Tax Credits

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken was to respond to public enquiries on tax credits by HM Revenue and Customs offices in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 368-69W to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).
	It is not possible to provide information about the average time taken to respond to tax credits inquiries made to all HM Revenue and Customs offices.

Welfare Tax Credits: Appeals

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the time period is in which individuals may appeal against a decision made by tax credit offices; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what arrangements are in place to inform individuals of their right to appeal decisions made by tax credit offices;
	(3)  how many appeals were made in each of the last 10 years against decisions made by tax credit offices; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) and the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 11 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 371-72W.
	Information concerning appeals can be found in the HMRC leaflet WTC/AP 'How to appeal against a tax credits decision or award' which is available on the internet at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc_ap.pdf
	Working tax credit and child tax credit were introduced in April 2003 and tax credits award notices include a message about a claimant's right of appeal.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Data Protection Act 1998: Prosecutions

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what penalties and further obligations have been imposed on organisations or individuals who have been successfully prosecuted under the  (a) Data Protection Act 1998 and  (b) Computer Misuse Act 1990 over the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: BERR has not prosecuted any offences under either the Data Protection Act 1998 or the Computer Misuse Act 1990 in the past 12 months.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many Wikipedia entries have been  (a) created and  (b) amended (i) by (A) officials, broken down by advisers, communications officials and other officials and (B) Ministers and (ii) from departmental IP addresses and (iii) from IP addresses of (1) officials, broken down by special advisers, communications officials and other officials and (2) Ministers in (x) his Department and (y) its agencies since August 2005.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 18 March 2008
	This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost was of overnight accommodation for  (a) civil servants,  (b) special advisers and  (c) Ministers in his Department staying overnight in (i) mainland Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland, (iii) the Republic of Ireland and (iv) other countries in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: The total cost for overnight accommodation in the last 12 months (March 2007-February 2008) was:
	(i) Mainland Great Britain—£794,048
	(ii) Northern Ireland—£0.00
	(iii) Republic of Ireland—£2,769
	(iv) Other countries—£285,403
	The Department does not separately record the overnight accommodation undertaken by  (a) civil servants,  (b) special advisers and  (c) Ministers—to provide this information would entail disproportionate costs.

Departmental Written Questions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many written questions to his Department had not received an answer as at 25 February 2008 for  (a) between two and four,  (b) between four and six,  (c) between six and eight and  (d) more than eight weeks; and how many in each category were tabled for named day answer.

Gareth Thomas: The details for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform written questions answered between the beginning of this session and 25 February are as follows:
	
		
			  Weeks delayed  Number  Of which: named day 
			 2-4 112 13 
			 4-6 25 2 
			 6-8 6 0 
			 Over 8 4 0 
		
	
	During this period, the Department answered a total of 1,534 questions.

Employment Agencies

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many agency workers were employed by his Department on the latest date for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 17 March 2008
	The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform currently employs 57 temporary agency workers.

EU Internal Trade

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was  (a) exported to and  (b) imported from other EU member states by the UK (i) in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available and (ii) in each year since 1978.

Gareth Thomas: Estimates of United Kingdom trade in goods and services with the European Union 27 are only available from 1999. The latest estimates are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ billion 
			   UK exports of goods and services 
			   To EU27  From EU27 
			 1999 131.2 141.6 
			 2000 145.4 152.5 
			 2001 149.9 164.1 
			 2002 151.5 175.9 
			 2003 151.0 179.4 
			 2004 155.9 186.6 
			 2005 169.6 207.0 
			 2006 205.4 236.7 
			  Source: ONS Balance of Payments statistics. 
		
	
	Initial estimates for 2007 are due to be published by the Office for National Statistics on 28 March 2008.
	Trade statistics, particularly in the first half of 2006, were affected by transactions associated with missing trader VAT fraud.
	Estimates of UK trade in goods and services with the EU15 from 1978 to 2005 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ billion 
			   UK exports of goods and services 
			   To EU15  From EU15 
			 1978 19.8 22.6 
			 1979 25.1 28.4 
			 1980 29.2 28.8 
			 1981 29.8 30.7 
			 1982 32.6 35.3 
			 1983 37.3 41.3 
			 1984 43.7 48.5 
			 1985 49.6 53.0 
			 1986 46.1 57.4 
			 1987 51.0 63.8 
			 1988 54.0 71.5 
			 1989 61.6 81.0 
			 1990 69.6 83.2 
			 1991 73.9 78.2 
			 1992 78.9 84.2 
			 1993 84.7 90.2 
			 1994 93.8 100.4 
			 1995 108.9 113.3 
			 1996 117.3 122.7 
			 1997 118.7 123.2 
			 1998 121.6 127.6 
			 1999 126.6 136.7 
			 2000 139.9 146.3 
			 2001 144.1 156.8 
			 2002 145.3 167.9 
			 2003 144.1 170.2 
			 2004 148.4 176.0 
			 2005 161.1 194.0 
			  Source: ONS Balance of Payments statistics. 
		
	
	Data for 1991 and earlier years are not fully consistent with those for later years as they do not incorporate revisions or methodology changes made after 1997.

Government Shareholding

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the Government's policy is in relation to corporate social responsibility in exercising shareholder rights in relation to Government-owned shares; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The shareholder executive manages its shareholdings in line with the Government shareholding principles, as described in the 2004-05 shareholder executive annual report (annex D) found on page 67 of the report weblink:
	http://www.shareholderexecutive.gov.uk/publications/pdf/annualreport0405.pdf
	The shareholder executive expects to govern the social, ethical and environmental behaviour of businesses within its portfolio and principle 9 states:
	"Businesses should manage effectively relationships with their employees, suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders who have a legitimate interest in the business's activities. Businesses should behave ethically and have due regard for the environment and society as a whole."

Government Shareholding

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value of the Government's shareholdings  (a) in total and  (b) in accordance with socially responsible investment policies was in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: Each year the shareholder executive assesses the financial performance of its portfolio businesses as can be seen in its annual reports. This assessment is based on an economic profit methodology which uses reported results to calculate year on year changes in shareholder value for the executive's diverse range of businesses. However this does not provide an absolute valuation of the executive's target businesses.
	As part of the NAO's audit of shareholder executive in February 2007 the NAO conducted a further exercise to ascertain an appropriate aggregate valuation of 18 businesses in the executive's portfolio. The NAO estimated that the enterprise value of the executive's portfolio to be between £17.1 billion and £20.8 billion as of 30 June 2006. This estimate is subject to caveats as outlined in Appendix 3 to the NAO report "The Shareholder Executive and Public Sector Businesses" Weblink:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/06-07/0607255.pdf

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what payments  (a) his Department and  (b) it agencies have made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Gareth Thomas: The information is as follows:
	 (a) My Department has made payments amounting to £180,000 to Ipsos Mori over the past 24 months. Of this amount, £55,000 was spent on a study to establish the readiness of public sector bodies for the digital switchover in the borders region, £53,000 was spent on Department of Trade and Industry Stakeholder Research, £23,000 on Business Relations surveys, £22,000 on Attitudes to Animal Experimentation and £19,000 on Captains of Industry surveys (used by leading organisations to evaluate the effectiveness of their brand).
	 (b) No payments have been made to Ipsos Mori in the last 24 months by either of BERR's agencies (Companies House and the Insolvency Service).

Members: Correspondence

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance he issues to his Department's parliamentary unit on responses to correspondence from hon. Members.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 18 March 2008
	The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) parliamentary unit does not deal with Members of Parliament's correspondence. The Department's ministerial correspondence and enquiry unit has lead responsibility for handling correspondence and for meeting the targets associated with this task.
	Guidance and advice on dealing with Members' correspondence is available to BERR staff on the Department's intranet site.

Overseas Companies

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will require all companies registered in the UK to include in their annual reports all their overseas subsidiaries, including information on  (a) numbers of employees and  (b) revenues.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 18 March 2008
	UK companies are required to comply with the reporting and accounting provisions of the Companies Act 1985 which will be substantially restated by the Companies Act 2006 and its accompanying regulations for financial years from 6 April 2008. The provisions for accounts and reports to disclose information about overseas subsidiaries restate the current requirements under the Companies Act 1985, including disclosure in the notes to accounts of the names and locations of subsidiary undertakings incorporated overseas, but do not require details of numbers of employees or of revenues. There are no plans to change these requirements.

Petrol: Prices

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will ask the Office of Fair Trading to investigate pricing by petroleum retailers at regional level; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is the independent competition regulator responsible for promoting effective competition and enforcing competition law. Anyone with any evidence of anti-competitive conduct by petrol retailers should pass the relevant information to the OFT.
	The OFT also has the power to refer markets to the Competition Commission where it suspects a market may have anti-competitive features. In addition, the OFT itself carries out market studies where it considers a market may not be working well for consumers and may have anti-competitive features. The OFT has published guidance on how it operates market studies, including information about how it prioritises which markets to study. The OFT's guidance on market studies can be found on their website at the following URL.:
	http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/enterprise_act/oft519.pdf.

Post Offices

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether sub-post offices that were to have been closed under the Network Change Programme but are kept open under arrangements agreed between Post Office Ltd. and local authorities will count against the Government's target for 2,500 post office closures; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Where a local authority or community group enters into an arrangement with Post Office Ltd to fund the continued provision of post office services to a community where the sub-post office has been confirmed for closure under the Network Change Programme, the business model for that service provision will change and become the financial responsibility of the local authority or community group. The closure of the former sub-post office will count towards the total number of closures under the programme.

Post Offices: Yealand

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost to the Post Office of keeping Yealand Post Office open for five hours each week.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Regional Development Agencies: Brussels

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1344W, on regional government: Brussels, what contributions were made by each regional development agency to the relevant offices in Brussels in each of the last three years.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1849W.

Regional Development Agencies: Expenditure

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much and what percentage of regional development agency funding was spent on  (a) advertising and  (b) overseas offices in each year for which figures are available, broken down by regional development agency.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 13 March 2008
	The following tables show how much grant in aid RDAs spent on advertising and overseas offices. Advertising figures relate to marketing activity to promote the region, for both tourism and investment. Overseas offices refer to RDA inward investment offices.
	
		
			  20 02-03 
			  RDAs  Grant in a id  (£  million)  Advertising (£000)  Advertising as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage)  Cost of overseas offices  (£000)  Cost of overseas offices as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage) 
			 AWM 204 511 0.25 54 0.26 
			 EEDA 88 261 0.30 258 0.29 
			 EMDA 101 102 0.10 0 0.00 
			 LDA 295 77 0.03 0 0.00 
			 NWDA 274 149 0.05 520 0.19 
			 ONE 193 0 0.00 786 0.41 
			 SEEDA 112 143 0.13 119 0.11 
			 SWRDA 103 449 0.44 714 0.69 
			 YF 211 2,062 0.98 329 0.16 
		
	
	
		
			  2003-04 
			  RDAs  Grant in aid  ( £ million)  Advertising (£000)  Advertising as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage)  Cost of overseas offices  (£000)  Cost of overseas offices as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage) 
			 AWM 240 553 0.23 989 0.41 
			 EEDA 80 131 0.16 246 0.31 
			 EMDA 117 110 0.09 905 0.77 
			 LDA 317 333 0.11 0 0.00 
			 NWDA 309 99 0.03 590 0.19 
			 ONE 223 207 0.09 760 0.34 
			 SEEDA 136 201 0.15 421 0.31 
			 SWRDA 99 432 0.44 821 0.83 
			 YF 244 599 0.25 412 0.17 
		
	
	
		
			  2004-05 
			  RDAs  Grant in aid  ( £ million)  Advertising (£000)  Advertising as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage)  Cost of overseas offices  (£000)  Cost of overseas offices as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage) 
			 AWM 217 1,366 0.63 1154 0.53 
			 EEDA 84 0 0.00 220 0.26 
			 EMDA 119 99 0.08 822 0.69 
			 LDA 328 634 0.19 0 0.00 
			 NWDA 367 198 0.05 635 0.17 
			 ONE 227 1,302 0.57 782 0.34 
			 SEEDA 110 363 0.33 406 0.37 
			 SWRDA 113 960 0.85 606 0.54 
			 YF 288 642 0.22 757 0.26 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			  RDAs  Grant in aid  ( £ million)  Advertising (£000)  Advertising as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage)  Cost of overseas offices  (£000)  Cost of overseas offices as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage) 
			 AWM 272 1,473 0.54 883 0.32 
			 EEDA 129 0 0.00 230 0.18 
			 EMDA 156 85 0.05 796 0.51 
			 LDA 373 275 0.07 0 0.00 
			 NWDA 382 185 0.05 645 0.17 
			 ONE 240 3,374 1.41 836 0.35 
			 SEEDA 157 232 0.15 380 0.24 
			 SWRDA 153 1,227 0.80 672 0.44 
			 YF 295 1,006 0.34 606 0.21 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 
			  RDAs  Grant in aid  ( £ million)  Advertising (£000)  Advertising as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage)  Cost of overseas offices  (£000)  Cost of overseas offices as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage) 
			 AWM 284 3,144 1.11 892 0.31 
			 EEDA 134 0 0.00 114 0.09 
			 EMDA 163 35 0.02 745 0.46 
			 LDA 391 393 0.10 261 0.07 
			 NWDA 400 414 0.10 668 0.17 
			 ONE 251 4,450 1.77 733 0.29 
			 SEEDA 163 163 0.10 701 0.43 
			 SWRDA 159 1,271 0.80 605 0.38 
			 YF 310 701 0.23 563 0.18

Renewable Energy

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 809W, on renewable energy,  (a) how many grants have been allocated and  (b) how much has been committed for the installation of (i) wind turbines, (ii) wood fuelled boiler systems, (iii) solar thermal hot water, (iv) solar photovoltaics, (v) small hydro projects, (vi) heat pumps, (vii) ground source heat pumps and (viii) biomass room heaters and stores under phase one of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (A) in total and (B) in each region in each month since September 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Since the launch of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 there have been 7,698 grants (excluding rejections) with a total value of £22,258,051 committed (excluding rejections)—details are as in the following table and further details have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The Department does not hold the information centrally in the format requested regarding installations in each region. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Low carbon building programme—Phase I total: Since launch— May 2006 to end of February 2008 by technology 
			  Technology  Total committed( 1)  Dropped out( 2)  Total currently committed( 3)  Total paid  Total unclaimed 
			   No.  £  No.  £  No.  £  No.  £  No.  £ 
			 Biomass Room Heater/Stove(4) 42 77,464 23 11,419 19 66,045 9 11,562 10 54,483 
			 CHP 1 29,537 0 0 1 29,537 0 0 1 29,537 
			 Ground Source Heat Pump 593 3,587,970 134 174,748 459 3,413,223 243 324,641 216 3,088,581 
			 Heat Pumps (Air) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Small Scale Hydro 15 213,074 2 4,300 13 208,774 1 3,000 12 205,774 
			 Solar Photovoltaic 1,044 7,786,759 167 942,430 876 6,844,329 658 4,086,832 218 2,754,497 
			 Solar Thermal Hot Water 3,678 2,767,887 612 275,294 3,040 2,492,593 2,564 1,141,547 476 1,351,046 
			 Water Source Heat Pump 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wind Turbine 1,926 4,040,025 1,269 1,100,759 648 2,939,266 525 1,241,941 123 1,697,325 
			 Wood Fuelled Boiler System 399 3,755,335 76 613,452 315 3,141,883 142 320,923 173 2,820,960 
			 Grand total 7,698 22,258,051 2,283 3,122,403 5,371 19,135,649 4,142 7,130,447 1,229 12,002,202 
			 (1) Excluding rejections. (2) Expired or withdrew. (3) All currently active Apps. (4) Automated Wood pellet Feed. 
		
	
	
		
			  Low carbon building programme — Phase I householders: since launch May 2006 to end of February 2008 by Technology 
			  Technology  Total apps received  Total committed( 1)  Dropped out( 2)  Total currently committed( 3)  Total paid  Total unclaimed 
			No.  £  No.  £  No.  £  No.  £  No.  £ 
			 Biomass Room Heater/ Stove(4) 47 35 17,811 23 11,419 12 6,392 8 4,098 4 2,294 
			 Ground Source Heat Pump 647 530 632,659 132 156,547 398 476,113 238 284,305 160 191,808 
			 Heat Pumps (Air) 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Small Scale Hydro 18 10 31,000 2 4,300 8 26,700 1 3,000 7 23,700 
			 Solar Photovoltaic 1,051 957 5,292,155 164 889,340 792 4,402,814 646 3,977,920 146 424,895 
			 Solar Thermal Hot Water 4,254 3,582 1,417,245 610 240,802 2,946 1,176,443 2,551 1,019,583 395 156,860 
			 Water Source Heat Pump 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wind Turbine 2,026 1,843 2,298,663 1,265 1,055,648 569 1,243,015 515 1,144,191 54 98,824 
			 Wood Fuelled Boiler System 414 313 443,473 72 101,497 233 341,976 129 188,191 104 153,785 
			 Grand total 8,467 7,270 10,133,005 2,268 2,459,553 4,958 7,673,452 4,088 6,621,287 870 1,052,165 
			 (1) Excluding rejections. (2) Expired or withdrew. (3) All currently active Apps. (4) Automated Wood pellet Feed. 
		
	
	
		
			  Low carbon building programme— Phase I Communities: since launch — May 2006 to end of  February  2008 by technology 
			  Technology  Total Apps received  Total  unique a pps( 1)  Total requested (£)  Total committed  Total committed (£)  Dropped  out( 2)  Dropped out( 2)  (£) 
			 Biomass Room Heater/ Stove( )(automated wood pellet feed) 3 3 21,223 1 7,546 0 0 
			 Ground Source Heat Pump 15 15 236,675 9 112,229 1 8,441 
			 Small Scale Hydro 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Solar Photovoltaic 35 35 361,796 32 347,748 1 17,066 
			 Solar Thermal Hot Water 42 42 500,289 29 377,401 2 34,493 
			 Wind Turbine 55 54 694,760 31 384,920 3 34,876 
			 Wood Fuelled Boiler System 19 19 358,542 16 325,549 0 0 
			 Grand total 169 168 2,173,285 118 1,555,392 7 94,876 
		
	
	
		
			  Technology  Total currently committed( 3)  Total currently committed( 3)( ) (£)  Total paid  Total paid (£)  Total unclaimed  Total unclaimed (£) 
			 Biomass Room Heater/ Stove( )(automated wood pellet feed) 1 7,546 1 7,464 0 82 
			 Ground Source Heat Pump 8 103,787 3 40 5 72,848 
			 Small Scale Hydro 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Solar Photovoltaic 31 330,682 9 93,019 22 237,663 
			 Solar Thermal Hot Water 27 342,908 9 94,606 18 248,303 
			 Wind Turbine 28 350,044 9 82 19 258,462 
			 Wood Fuelled Boiler System 16 325,549 4 55 12 267,194 
			 Grand total 111 1,460,516 35 966 76 1,084,551 
			 (1) Excluding resubmissions (2) Expired or withdrawn (3) All currently active apps 
		
	
	
		
			  Low carbon building programme—Phase I Stream 2A:  since launch May 2006 to end of February 2008 by technology 
			  Technology  Total apps received  Total unique apps( 1)  Total requested (£)  Total committed  Total committed (£)  Dropped  ou t(  2)  Dropped out( 2)  (£) 
			 Biomass Room Heater/ Stove( )(automated wood pellet feed) n/a n/a n/a 6 52,108 0 0 
			 Ground Source Heat Pump n/a n/a n/a 40 701,050 1 9,760 
			 Small Scale Hydro n/a n/a n/a 3 123,468 0 0 
			 Solar Photovoltaic n/a n/a n/a 46 1,015,930 2 36,023 
			 Solar Thermal Hot Water n/a n/a n/a 54 619,414 0 0 
			 Wind Turbine n/a n/a n/a 45 843,026 1 10,235 
			 Wood Fuelled Boiler System n/a n/a n/a 60 1,198,603 3 61,191 
			 Grand total n/a n/a 16.237,344 254 4,553,599 7 117,209 
		
	
	
		
			  Technology  Total currently committed( 3)  Total currently committed( 3)  (£)  Total paid  Total paid (£)  Total Unclaimed  Total Unclaimed (£) 
			 Biomass Room Heater/Stove( )(automated wood pellet feed) 6 52,108 0 0 6 52,108 
			 Ground Source Heat Pump 39 691,290 2 9,397 37 681,893 
			 Small Scale Hydro 3 123,468 0 0 3 123,468 
			 Solar Photovoltaic 44 979,907 3 15,894 41 961,013 
			 Solar Thermal Hot Water 54 619,414 4 27,359 50 592,056 
			 Wind Turbine 44 832,791 1 6,168 43 826,623 
			 Wood Fuelled Boiler System 57 1,137,412 9 74,377 48 1,063,035 
			 Grand total 247 4,436,390 19 133,194 228 4,300,195 
			 n/a = not available (1) Excluding resubmissions (2) Expired or withdrawn (3) All currently active apps 
		
	
	
		
			  S ince launch May 2006 to end of February 2008 by technology 
			  Technology  CHP  Total apps received  Total unique apps( 1)  Total requested (£)  Total committed  Total committed (£)  Dropped out( 2)  Dropped out( 2)  (£) 
			 Biomass Room Heater/Stove( )(automated wood pellet feed) n/a n/a n/a 1 29,537 0 0 
			 Ground Source Heat Pump n/a n/a n/a 14 2,142,033 0 0 
			 Small Scale Hydro n/a n/a n/a 2 58,606 0 0 
			 Solar Photovoltaic n/a n/a n/a 9 1,130,926 0 0 
			 Solar Thermal Hot Water n/a n/a n/a 13 353,827 0 0 
			 Wind Turbine n/a n/a n/a 7 513,416 0 0 
			 Wood Fuelled Boiler System n/a n/a n/a 10 1,787,710 1 450,764 
			 Grand total n/a n/a 14,275,560 56 6,016,054 1 450,764 
		
	
	
		
			  Technology  CHP  Total currently committed( 3)  Total currently committed( 3)  (£)  Total paid  Total paid (£)  Total unclaimed  Total unclaimed (£) 
			 Biomass Room Heater/Stove( )(automated wood pellet feed) 1 29,537 0 0 1 29,537 
			 Ground Source Heat Pump 14 2,142,033 0 0 14 2,142.03 
			 Small Scale Hydro 2 58,606 0 0 2 58,606 
			 Solar Photovoltaic 9 1,130,926 0 0 9 1,130,92 
			 Solar Thermal Hot Water 13 353,827 0 0 13 353,827 
			 Wind Turbine 7 513,416 0 0 7 513,416 
			 Wood Fuelled Boiler System 9 1,336,946 0 0 9 1,336,94 
			 Grand total 55 5,565,290 0 0 55 5,565,290 
			 n/a = not available (1) Excluding resubmissions (2) Expired or withdrawn (3) All currently active apps

Royal Mail: Finance

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department has had with Royal Mail on how much it receives in payment for each item of mail private businesses post using downstream access.

Patrick McFadden: As the Department with responsibility for the Government's shareholding, BERR Ministers and officials meet Royal Mail on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues. Access by other companies to the Royal Mail network is a matter for commercial negotiation between Royal Mail, the company concerned and, if need be, Postcomm. Royal Mail's Report and Accounts for 2006-07 stated that the average revenue per item for delivering access mail was 13p.

Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it his policy to amend the universal service obligation of Royal Mail to include small and medium-sized enterprises, with particular reference to a guaranteed early delivery.

Patrick McFadden: The Government consider the maintenance of a universal postal service to be of the highest importance. Under the terms of the Postal Services Act 2000, the universal service is a matter for the postal regulator (Postcomm), which has the primary statutory duty to ensure the provision of a universal postal service at an affordable uniform tariff. Postcomm has the responsibility for defining the requirements of the universal service obligation in consultation with users.
	An independent review of the postal services market was announced on 17 December 2007. It has three terms of reference, one of which is to consider how to maintain the universal service obligation in the light of trends and market developments. The review will provide postal carriers and other interested parties with a formal opportunity to contribute their thinking on this and on the future of the postal services market in the UK.

Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the ability of Postcomm to  (a) protect and  (b) sustain the universal service obligation of Royal Mail; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government consider the maintenance of a universal postal service to be of the highest importance.
	Under the terms of the Postal Services Act 2000, Postcomm's primary statutory duty is to ensure the provision of a universal postal service at an affordable uniform tariff. Postcomm's decisions relating to Royal Mail and the wider market are all taken in the context of this duty.
	The regulator is accountable directly to Parliament through the Select Committee and the Public Accounts Committee.

Small Businesses: Morecambe and Lunesdale

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what support his Department makes available to start-up businesses in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

Patrick McFadden: Support is available to all individuals seeking to start up in business within this constituency through the Business Link North West Universal Service. In addition, in line with the priorities of the North West Regional Economic Strategy 2006, there is additional support to individuals in under represented groups—women, disabled and members of BME communities—through the North West Development Agency Business Start Up Project.
	During the current financial year the Business Link North West Universal Service has assisted 343 businesses and individuals from the area; while the Agency's Start Up Project has assisted 14 businesses to commence trading and is currently working with a further 32 individuals who are considering starting a business.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under 18 year olds were  (a) arrested,  (b) cautioned and  (c) prosecuted for alcohol-related offences in each London borough in the last five years for which data is available; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 1 February 2008
	The information requested covering cautions and prosecutions for offences of  (a) Drunkenness,  (b) Drunkenness with aggravation,  (c) Offences against the licensing acts,  (d) other offences against intoxicating liquor laws,  (e) selected motoring offences in Greater London is provided in the following table. Data broken down by London borough are not held by the Ministry of Justice.
	The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group only, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, etc. More detailed data about specific offences do not form part of this collection.
	
		
			  Number of under 18-year-olds cautioned by the police and proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences related to alcohol—Greater London, 2002-06( 1,2) 
			Cautioned by the police  Proceeded against at magistrates courts 
			   Offence/offence class  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 140 Drunkenness, simple(3) 151 336 160 70 59 253 237 188 144 132 
			 141 Drunkenness, with aggravation(4) 428 579 385 265 330 2,408 2,385 1,179 971 1,170 
			 142 Offences by licensed person, etc.(5) — — — — — 27 137 182 272 181 
			 143 Other offences against Intoxicating Liquor Laws(6) 6 — 1 3 6 52 53 29 38 154 
			 406 Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs(7) — — — — — 1 3 4 2 2 
			 803 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs(8) — — — — — 13,075 12,670 12,999 12,791 12,880 
			  Total 585 915 546 338 395 15,816 15,485 14,581 14,218 14,519 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes offences of being found drunk in a highway or public place, drunk in a vehicle or drunk while entering a designated sports event. (4) Includes offences of being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour, drunk with a loaded firearm and refusing to leave licensed premises when requested. (5) Offences by license holders only: Includes offences of the illegal sale of alcohol and failure to follow licensing regulations. (6) Offences by non-license holders: Includes offences of falsely claiming to be a licensee and illegally supplying alcohol to children (7) Offence cannot separately identify whether drink or drugs specifically were involved. (8) Offence covers summary offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs (which cannot reliably be distinguished separately).  Source: Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Alcoholic Drinks: Prosecutions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for sale of alcohol to a drunk person have been pursued in each criminal justice area in each of the last 10 years; and how many resulted in conviction.

Vernon Coaker: The following table provides information on the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for sale of alcohol to a drunken person, under section 141 of the Licensing Act 2003. The data has been broken down by police force area.
	Data is provided for 2004 to 2006 only as prior to the Licensing Act 2003 coming into force, data for the offence was not held to the level of detail required.
	In addition to court proceedings, the offence was added to the penalty notice for disorder (PND) scheme on 4 April 2005. Data has been provided for the number issued by police force area in 2005 and 2006.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts found guilty at all courts and the number of penalty notices for disorder issued for the sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk under the licensing act 2003 section 141, by police force area, England and Wales 2004 to 2006( 1, 2) 
			   Proceeded against at magistrates court  Found guilty at all courts  Penalty notices for disorder issued 
			  Police force area  2004  2005  2006  2004  2005  2006  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset — — — — — — — — 
			 Bedfordshire — — — — — — — — 
			 British Transport police n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 
			 Cambridgeshire — — — — — — — 1 
			 Cheshire — — — — — — — — 
			 Cleveland — — — — — — 1 — 
			 Cumbria — — — — — — — 6 
			 Derbyshire — — — — — — — 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall — — — — — — 1 1 
			 Dorset — — — — — — — 1 
			 Durham — — — — — — — — 
			 Essex — — — — — — — — 
			 Gloucestershire — — — — — — — — 
			 Greater Manchester — — — — — — — 3 
			 Hampshire — — — — — — 1 1 
			 Hertfordshire — — — — — — — — 
			 Humberside — — — — — — — — 
			 Kent — — — — — — 2 1 
			 Lancashire — — 1 — — — 4 4 
			 Leicestershire — — — — — — 8 2 
			 Lincolnshire — — — — — — 1 — 
			 London, City of — — — — — — — — 
			 Merseyside — — — — — — — — 
			 Metropolitan — — — — — — 3 7 
			 Norfolk — — — — — — — — 
			 North Yorkshire — — — — — — — 1 
			 Northamptonshire — — — — — — — — 
			 Northumbria — — — — — — — — 
			 Nottinghamshire — — — — — — — 1 
			 South Yorkshire — — — — — — 1 — 
			 Staffordshire — — — — — — — 4 
			 Suffolk — — — — — — — — 
			 Surrey — — — — — — — 1 
			 Sussex — — — — — — 7 1 
			 Thames Valley — — 1 — — 1 — — 
			 Warwickshire — — — — — — — — 
			 West Mercia — — — — — — 2 — 
			 West Midlands — — — — — — — 1 
			 West Yorkshire — — — — — — 1 1 
			 Wiltshire — — — — — — — 3 
			  
			 Dyfed Powys — — — — — — — — 
			 Gwent — — — — — — — — 
			 North Wales — — — — — — — 5 
			 South Wales — — — — — — — — 
			  
			 England and Wales — — 2 — — 1 32 47 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Court proceedings data are provided on the principal offence basis, PND data are a count of tickets issued.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prosecutions

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there were of retailers for selling alcohol to persons under 18 years old for consumption off the premises in 2006.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 18 February 2008
	Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty of the sale of alcohol to a person under 18 and allowing sale of alcohol to a person under 18 are in the following table. My Department cannot completely differentiate between sales made on the premises from sales made off the premises, as data are not held to the level required. However data have been excluded in relation to on-premises in cases where it has been identified.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for the sale of alcohol and allowing sale of alcohol to a person under 18, England and Wales, 2006( 1,2,3) 
			   Number of defendants 
			 Proceeded against 457 
			 Found guilty 328 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) My Department cannot completely differentiate between sales made on the premises from sales made off the premises, as data are not held to the level required. However data have been excluded in relation to on-premises in cases where it has been identified.  Source: RDS-OCJR—Ministry of Justice

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licensees were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of selling alcohol to under-age drinkers in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 21 January 2008
	The following table provides information on prosecutions and convictions for selling alcohol to persons under 18 years, in each of the last five years.
	In addition to court proceedings, the offence of sale of alcohol to a person under 18 can attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND). The offence was added to the PND scheme on 1 November 2004, and there were 113 penalty notices issued for the offence in November and December of that year. Additionally, another 2,058 penalty notices were issued in 2005 and 3,195 were issued in 2006.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for selling alcohol to under-age customers, England and Wales, 2002 to 2006( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2002 170 105 
			 2003 616 419 
			 2004 841 593 
			 2005 1,084 772 
			 2006 1,199 854 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Covers the offences: Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises under the Licensing Act 1964 S.169 A and B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1, Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 under the Licensing Act 1964 S.181 A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 S.17, Sale of alcohol to a person under 18 under the Licensing Act 2003 S.146 and Allowing Sale of alcohol to a person under 18 under the Licensing Act 2003 S.147. Sections 146 and 147 of the 2003 Licensing Act only came into effect from 24 November 2005. The first two offences cannot separately identify on and off premises consumption although both are covered by the statutes.  Sources: RDS, Court proceedings database Office for Criminal Justice Reform Ministry of Justice.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many test purchases relating to the sale of alcohol to those under the age of 18 years were undertaken in England and Wales in each year since 1997; and how many prosecutions were brought as a result of such test purchase operations in each such year.

Vernon Coaker: Both the police and Trading Standards can routinely conduct test purchases locally in line with local operational priorities. These details are not centrally collated by the Home Office, so no records of all such test purchases are available.
	The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of test purchases for the sale of alcohol to those under the age of 18 years.
	Data held by the Ministry of Justice cannot separately identify "test purchases" or criminal proceedings brought before court as a result of "test purchase operations".
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for the offence 'sale of alcohol to those aged under 18' in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	In addition, under the Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) Scheme, fixed penalty notices of £80 may be issued by the police for the offence of sale of alcohol to those aged under 18; the offence was added to the scheme in November 2004. The number of PNDs issued for the offence in England and Wales was 113 in 2004; 2,058 in 2005; and 3,195 in 2006.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	Since 2004 the Home Office has co-ordinated a number of national alcohol enforcement campaigns which have included an element of, or have focused exclusively on test purchase activity.
	Four national Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns (2004-06) included within them an element of test purchase activity. Subsequent Tackling Underage Sales Campaigns (2006-07) have focused exclusively on underage sales targeting perceived problem premises.
	
		
			  The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for offences relating to sale of alcohol to a person under the age of 18 in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Proceeded against 
			 1997 214 
			 1998 310 
			 1999 204 
			 2000 130 
			 2001 155 
			 2002 168 
			 2003 604 
			 2004 856 
			 2005 1,073 
			 2006 1,181 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following Statutes, and corresponding offence descriptions: Licensing Act 2003 5.146(1): sale of alcohol to person under 18 Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 S.4(l)(a), Licensing Act 1964 SS.169A and 169B, as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000: Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on the premises (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source: Court proceedings data held by RDS - Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice Our Ref: IOS 148-08 (Table)

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were fined for selling alcohol to under-age persons in each year since 1997; and what the average such fine was in each year.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information is contained in the following table.
	Statistics for 2007 will be published in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  Number of persons( 1)  fined for the offence of selling alcohol to persons under 18 and the average fine amount, all courts, England and Wales 1997-2006 
			  Offence description   Number fined( 1)  Average fine amount (£) 
			 Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on premises 1997 111 227 
			  1998 129 212 
			  1999 95 194 
			  2000 46 206 
			  2001 42 208 
			  2002 78 244 
			  2003 344 249 
			  2004 515 237 
			  2005 662 245 
			  2006 434 288 
			 (1) Principal offence basis.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice 3 March 2008 Ref: AHA093-08

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many acceptable behaviour contracts have been issued in  (a) Easington constituency and  (b) the County of Durham since their introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available.
	Data on acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) are not collected by the Home Office as they are voluntary agreements and therefore not suitable for central data collection. However, surveys carried out by the Home Office of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) indicated that over 25,000 ABCs have been made since October 2003. The Home Office has issued updated and comprehensive guidance for practitioners on the use of ABCs.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in Cornwall since their introduction.

Vernon Coaker: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available from April 1999. The number of ASBOs issued at all courts in the Devon and Cornwall Criminal Justice System (CJS) area is 178 up to 31 December 2005 (latest available). We hope to publish soon data for the period up to the end of 2006.

Cocaine

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 377-8W, on cocaine, 
	(1)  how many of the premises defined as crack houses were also in use as residential dwellings at the point at which the closure order was issued;
	(2)  how many of the crackhouse closure orders were successfully enforced in each year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: 722 crack house closure orders were successfully obtained since 1 October 2003 and up to March 2006. Information on crack houses which were in use as private dwellings is not available.

Crime Prevention: Lighting

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of street lighting in reducing  (a) crime and  (b) fear of crime.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office commissioned a systematic review of the impact of street lighting on levels of crime, published in 2002 as Home Office Research Study 251, "Effects of improved street lighting on crime: a systematic review". A copy of the report can be accessed at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hors251.pdf
	The review by Professors David Farrington and Brandon Welsh summarises the findings of previous studies from both the USA and Britain on the effectiveness of improved street lighting on crime. The review found that improved street lighting led to significant reductions in crime (around 20 per cent. across all the studies reviewed). The review did not cover impact on fear of crime.

Crime: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 429-30W, on crime: Darlington, what the crime detection rates were for the South Durham basic command unit in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The 2006-07 detection rates for the South Durham basic command unit are given in the following table.
	It should be noted that non-sanction detections that contribute to the percentage change in detection rates have fallen in recent years reflecting a significant shift by many police forces away from recording detections of crime where no further action is taken. For this reason overall detections rates over time are not fully comparable. From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they can be claimed to a very limited set of circumstances.
	
		
			  Detection rates in the South Durham basic command unit—2006-07 
			   Percentage 
			  Offence group  Detection rate 
			 Violence against the person 64 
			 Sexual offences 46 
			 Robbery 28 
			 Burglary 15 
			 Offences against vehicles 11 
			 Other theft offences 27 
			 Fraud and forgery 49 
			 Criminal damage 16 
			 Drug offences 91 
			 Other miscellaneous offences 80 
			   
			 Total 29

Crime: Detection Rates

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the feasibility of identifying separately the number of  (a) crimes reported to the police and  (b) crimes discovered by the police.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office criteria for the recording of crimes by police is laid out in the Home Office counting rules for crime (HOCR) and also the national crime recording standard (NCRS). These are both public documents available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/countrules.html
	The HOCR are updated every year from 1 April after consultation with police forces on issues that may need clarification or when new laws are enacted or old laws repealed.
	At present there are no plans to further separately identify the number of crimes reported to or discovered by the police.

Crime: Statistics

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 February,  Official Report, column 581W, on crime: statistics, what steps she is taking to ensure that more crimes are reported to the police.

Vernon Coaker: It is a matter for individual victims of crime whether they decide to report crimes to the police.
	Police forces have differing mechanisms in which victims of crime can contact them to report crimes. This can include third party referral sites, internet reporting, local community beat officer surgeries, call centres that take crimes directly over the telephone and also where the public directly ask police for assistance as the result of a crime.
	Where crimes are reported they have to be recorded in accordance with the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) which was introduced in April 2002 which has twin aims of a victim orientated approach and also to promote greater consistency between police forces in the recording of crime.

Crime: Statistics

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 581W, on crime: statistics, what factors contributed to the estimate of the 2006-07 British Crime Survey that more than half of crimes are never reported to the police.

Vernon Coaker: The British Crime Survey (BCS) gives a count of crime that includes those that are not reported to the police or recorded by them. Victims who did not report the incident to the police are asked for the reasons why, and these are reported annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 'Crime in England and Wales', copies of which can be found in the House of Common's library.
	As in previous years, the latest figures from the 2006-07 BCS showed that the most common reason for not reporting incidents was that victims perceived them to be too trivial, there was no loss or they believed that the police would or could not do much about them. (71 per cent. of all comparable incidents—those crimes covered by both the BCS and police recorded crime). The second most common reason given was that the victim considered the issue to be a private matter and dealt with it themselves (17 per cent.).
	A more detailed breakdown of the figures by offence category from the 2006-07 BCS can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Reasons for not repo rting crime to the police, 2006- 07 BCS 
			  Percentage 
			   Vandalism  Burglary  Thefts from vehicles and attempts( 1)  Other household theft  Other personal theft  BCS violence( 2)  Comparable subset( 3)  All BCS 
			 Trivial/no loss/police would not/could not do anything(4) 83 70 84 81 66 46 71 72 
			 Private/dealt with ourselves 10 17 10 13 13 34 17 16 
			 Inconvenient to report 5 6 7 5 6 4 6 6 
			 Reported to other authorities 2 2 1 2 14 8 4 5 
			 Common occurrence 3 2 2 1 3 4 3 3 
			 Fear of reprisal 3 4 0 2 1 7 3 3 
			 Dislike or fear of the police/ previous bad experience with the police or courts 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 
			 Other(5) 3 9 5 3 9 10 6 6 
			  
			 Unweighted base 2,805 362 1,323 1,414 604 933 6,234 8,252 
			  Notes: (1) Thefts of vehicles not shown as very few incidents were not reported. (2) Comparable BCS violence includes wounding, robbery, assault with minor injury and assault with no injury. (3) The comparable crime subset includes vandalism, burglary, vehicle-related theft, bicycle theft, wounding, assault with and without minor injury and robbery. (4) Too trivial/no loss/would not have been interested/police could not do anything/attempt at offence was unsuccessful are merged due to the similarity in their definition, for example a respondent who thinks the incident was too trivial may code the incident as 'too trivial, no loss' or 'the police would not be interested' as these two codes may be understood as meaning the same. (5) This category includes: something that happens as part of job; partly my/friend's/relative's fault; offender not responsible for actions; thought someone else had reported incident/similar incidents; tried to report but was not able to contact the police/police not interested; other. So urce: 2006/07 BCS. More than one reason could be given.

Crime: Telford

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of trends in  (a) car crime,  (b) violent crime,  (c) house burglary and  (d) incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Telford division of West Mercia Police during the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: There have been very substantial falls in vehicle crime and domestic burglary in the Telford and Wrekin division of the West Mercia police force area. Between 2002-03 and 2006-07, recorded vehicle crime in Telford and Wrekin fell by 46 per cent. (from 2,797 offences to 1,506). Domestic burglary fell by 68 per cent. (from 1,433 offences to 462).
	Following a change made in response to suggestions in the two reviews of crime statistics, the Home Office no longer use the term violent crime in connection with the recorded crime statistics and we now concentrate on figures for violence against the person. Between 2002-03 and 2006-07, violence against the person fell by 35 per cent. (from 4,280 offences to 2,795).
	Overall, vehicle crime accounted for 11 per cent. of all recorded crime in the Division in 2006-07. Violence against the person and domestic burglary accounted for 21 and 3 per cent. of all recorded crime respectively.
	With regard to assessing antisocial behaviour, this is measured through a measure of perceptions using the British Crime Survey (BCS), a nationally representative survey of adults aged 16 and over living in private households in England and Wales.
	The size of the sample in the BCS means that we cannot provide reliable data for geographical areas smaller than police force areas and we are therefore not able to make a reliable assessment about trends in antisocial behaviour in the Telford and the Wrekin division.

Crimes of Violence: Ashford

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of violence against the person have been recorded in Ashford in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Violence against the person offences recorded by the police in Ashford 
			   Number of offences 
			 2002-03 1,156 
			 2003-04 1,255 
			 2004-05 1,573 
			 2005-06 1,548 
			 2006-07 1,499

Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often the Ministerial Action Group to assess the implementation of the Government's Action Plan for Tackling Violence is planned to meet; and when the first annual report on progress in implementing the plan will be published.

Vernon Coaker: Governance and performance management arrangements for the very recently published Action Plan for Tackling Violence are not yet finalised.
	The Ministerial Action Group will meet regularly, though its frequency has yet to be decided. The first annual report will be published shortly after the end of the financial year 2008-09.

Domestic Violence

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested for domestic violence offences in each of the last five years, broken down by police force; how many of those arrested were  (a) released without charge and  (b) cautioned; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, etc. As part of this collection there is no information on the circumstances behind the offences nor on arrest outcomes (e.g. whether the person arrested was released without charge or given a caution).

Domestic Violence: Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the domestic violence enforcement campaign conducted between December 2007 and January 2008.

Vernon Coaker: The Domestic Violence Enforcement Campaign (DVEC), which ran during December 2007 and January 2008, aimed to improve the local response to domestic violence by building on lessons learned in the 2006 DVECs. A key aspect of this was to encourage partnership working to protect victims and their children through the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference process.
	We are currently analysing data submitted by those police forces which took part in the DVEC and aim to publish our findings later in the spring.

Drugs: Smuggling

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which countries the UK has asset seizure agreements in respect of illegal drug dealing; and what plans she has to  (a) extend the scope of existing agreements and  (b) conclude agreements with further countries.

Vernon Coaker: The Government currently have formal asset seizure sharing agreements with the USA, Canada, Jamaica, Netherlands, Columbia and the United Arab Emirates, although these are not specific to drug dealing. We are aiming to refresh some existing agreements. We are also willing to enter informal sharing agreements with other jurisdictions on a case by case basis. In addition, in our Asset Recovery Action Plan launched in May 2007 we undertook to agree a priority list of countries for negotiating new asset sharing agreements by March this year. A provisional list has been drawn up and discussions are in progress with the relevant jurisdictions.

Firearms

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of an illegal handgun in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: Intelligence on the price of handguns has not been centrally recorded and collated over the period requested. However, Home Office Research Study 298 (December 2006) reported that the cost of a handgun varied from £150 to £200, where it had previously been used in a crime, to £1,100 to £1,400 for a new 9 mm model.

Firearms: Crime

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed involving  (a) handguns,  (b) rifles,  (c) shotguns,  (d) air weapons and  (e) imitation firearms in each year since 1996-97.

Vernon Coaker: The requested data from 1996 up to and including 2006-07 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in which firearms were reported to have been used by type of principal weapon, 1996 to 2006-07 
			  Number of offences 
			   1996  1997  1997-98  1998-99( 1)  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02( 2)  2002-03( 3)  2003-04  2004-05( 4)  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Shotgun 933 580 565 642 693 608 712 672 718 597 642 613 
			 Handgun 3,347 2,648 2,636 2,687 3,685 4,110 5,874 5,549 5,144 4,360 4,672 4,175 
			 Rifle 62 51 55 43 67 36 64 52 48 54 71 69 
			 Imitation firearm 436 511 533 566 823 787 1,246 1,814 2,146 3,373 3,277 2,517 
			 Air weapon 7,813 7,506 7,902 8,665 10,103 10,227 12,377 13,822 13,756 11,825 10,439 8,839 
			 (1 )There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998. (2) Figures may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002. (3 )The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this. (4) More explicit guidelines for the classification of weapons introduced on 1 April 2004 may have increased the recording of firearm offences. Particulary those commited by imitation weapons.

Forced Marriage: Children

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements her Department makes to pass on to  (a) schools and  (b) social services departments the details of children identified by the police, the Border and Immigration Agency or other Home Office bodies as being vulnerable to offences associated with surrounding forced marriage; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 18 March 2008
	Where children are identified as being vulnerable to forced marriage, actions to safeguard those children will be taken as part of child protection procedures. This will include the involvement of the police and local safeguarding children's boards.
	Guidelines for professionals (police, education professionals, health and social workers) on dealing with cases of forced marriage have also been issued by the Forced Marriage Unit. When implemented, the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 will place these guidelines on a statutory footing.

Gating Orders

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gating orders under the Highways Act 1980 were  (a) applied for and  (b) granted in each local authority area in England in each year since 2001.

Vernon Coaker: Details of the number of "gating orders",  (a) applied for are not collected centrally. Details of the number of "gating orders",  (b) granted for crime or antisocial behaviour purposes under section 129A of the Highways Act 1980 are collected by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and are provided in the following table. These orders came into force on 1 April 2006.
	
		
			  Local authority  Number of gating orders 
			 Ardur DC — 
			 Allerdale BC — 
			 Alnwick BC — 
			 Amber Valley BC 0 
			 Arun DC 0 
			 Ashfield DC 0 
			 Ashford BC — 
			 Aylesbury Vale DC 0 
			 Babergh DC 0 
			 Barnsley MBC 0 
			 Barrow in Furness BC — 
			 Basildon DC 0 
			 Basingstoke and Deane BC — 
			 Bassetlaw DC — 
			 Bath and N E Somerset 0 
			 Bedford BC 0 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed BC 0 
			 Birmingham CC — 
			 Blaby DC 0 
			 Blackburn and Darwen BC — 
			 Blackpool BC 0 
			 Blyth Valley BC — 
			 Bolsover DC — 
			 Bolton MBC 0 
			 Boston BC 0 
			 Bournemouth BC — 
			 Bracknell Forest BC — 
			 Bradford MDC — 
			 Braintree DC — 
			 Breckland DC 0 
			 Brentwood BC 0 
			 Bridgnorth DC 0 
			 Brighton and Hove BC — 
			 Bristol CC — 
			 Broadland DC 0 
			 Bromsgrove DC 0 
			 Broxbourne BC — 
			 Broxtowe DC 0 
			 Burnley BC — 
			 Bury BC 0 
			 Calderdale BC — 
			 Cambridge CC — 
			 Cannock Chase DC 0 
			 Canterbury CC 0 
			 Caradon CC 0 
			 Carlisle CC — 
			 Carrick CC — 
			 Castle Morpeth BC 0 
			 Castle Point DC 0 
			 Charnwood BC — 
			 Chelmsford BC — 
			 Cheltenham BC — 
			 Cherwell DC 0 
			 Chester CC 0 
			 Chester-le-Street DC 0 
			 Chesterfield BC 0 
			 Chichester DC 0 
			 Chiltern DC 0 
			 Chorley BC 0 
			 Christchurch BC 0 
			 Colchester BC — 
			 Congleton BC 0 
			 Copeland BC — 
			 Corby DC — 
			 Cotswold DC — 
			 Coventry CC 2 
			 Craven DC 0 
			 Crawley BC 0 
			 Crewe and Nantwich BC — 
			 Dacorum BC 0 
			 Darlington BC — 
			 Dartford BC 0 
			 Daventry DC 0 
			 Derby CC 0 
			 Derbyshire Dales DC 0 
			 Derwentside DC — 
			 Doncaster DC — 
			 Dover DC 0 
			 Dudley DC — 
			 Durham City Council 0 
			 E Cambridgeshire DC — 
			 E Devon DC 0 
			 E Dorset DC 0 
			 E Hampshire DC 0 
			 E Hertfordshire DC 0 
			 E Lindsey DC — 
			 E Northamptonshire DC — 
			 E Riding of Yorkshire DC 0 
			 E Staffordshire BC — 
			 Easington DC 0 
			 Eastbourne BC — 
			 Eastleigh BC 0 
			 Eden 0 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 0 
			 Elmbridge BC 0 
			 Epping Forest DC 0 
			 Epsom and Ewell BC 0 
			 Erewash BC 0 
			 Exeter CC — 
			 Fareham 0 
			 Fenland DC 0 
			 Forest Heath DC 0 
			 Forest of Dean DC — 
			 Fylde BC 0 
			 Gateshead BC 0 
			 Gedling DC — 
			 Gloucester CC — 
			 Gosport BC — 
			 Gravesham BC — 
			 Great Yarmouth BC 0 
			 Guildford BC — 
			 Halton BC 0 
			 Hambleton DC 0 
			 Harborough DC 0 
			 Harlow DC — 
			 Harrogate BC — 
			 Hart DC — 
			 Hartlepool BC — 
			 Hastings BC 0 
			 Havant BC 0 
			 Herefordshire DC 0 
			 Hertsmere BC 0 
			 High Peak BC 0 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth BC 0 
			 Horsham DC 0 
			 Huntingdonshire DC 0 
			 Hyndburn BC 0 
			 Ipswich BC 0 
			 Isle of Wight DC 0 
			 Isles of Scilly DC 0 
			 Kennet DC 0 
			 Kerrier DC 0 
			 Kettering BC 0 
			 Kings Lynn and W Norfolk DC — 
			 Kingston upon Hull City Council — 
			 Kirklees BC 0 
			 Knowsley BC — 
			 Lancaster CC 0 
			 LB Corporation of London — 
			 LB Barking and Dagenham 1 
			 LB Barnet 0 
			 LB Bexley — 
			 LB Brent — 
			 LB Bromley — 
			 LB Camden 0 
			 LB Croydon — 
			 LB Ealing — 
			 LB Enfield — 
			 LB Greenwich 0 
			 LB Hackney 0 
			 LB Hammersmith and Fulham — 
			 LB Haringey 2 
			 LB Harrow 0 
			 LB Havering 0 
			 LB Hillingdon 0 
			 LB Hounslow 0 
			 LB Islington — 
			 LB of Kensington and Chelsea 0 
			 LB of Kingston upon Thames — 
			 LB Lambeth 0 
			 LB Lewisham — 
			 LB Merton — 
			 LB Newham — 
			 LB Redbridge — 
			 LB Richmond upon Thames — 
			 LB Sutton — 
			 LB Southwark — 
			 LB Tower Hamlets 0 
			 LB Waltham Forest 0 
			 LB Wandsworth 0 
			 Leeds CC 7 
			 Leicester City — 
			 Lewes DC — 
			 Lichfield DC 0 
			 Lincoln CC — 
			 Liverpool CC — 
			 Luton BC 0 
			 Macclesfield BC — 
			 Maidstone BC — 
			 Maldon DC 0 
			 Malvern Hills DC 0 
			 Manchester CC — 
			 Mansfield DC — 
			 Medway TC 1 
			 Melton BC — 
			 Mendip DC 0 
			 Mid Bedfordshire DC 0 
			 Mid Devon DC — 
			 Mid Suffolk DC 0 
			 Mid Sussex DC — 
			 Middlesbrough CC 0 
			 Milton Keynes BC — 
			 Mole Valley DC 0 
			 N Cornwall DC 0 
			 N Devon DC 0 
			 N Dorset DC 0 
			 N Hertfordshire DC 0 
			 N Kesteven DC 0 
			 N Lincolnshire DC 10 
			 Norfolk DC 0 
			 N Shropshire DC 0 
			 N Somerset DC — 
			 N Tyneside BC — 
			 N Wiltshire DC — 
			 N York Moors Park Authority — 
			 N E Derbyshire DC 0 
			 N E Lincolnshire DC — 
			 N W Leicestershire DC 0 
			 N Warwickshire BC 0 
			 New Forest DC 0 
			 Newark and Sherwood DC — 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne CC 0 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme BC 0 
			 Northampton BC — 
			 Norwich CC — 
			 Nottingham CC — 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth BC — 
			 Oadby and Wigston BC 0 
			 Oldham BC — 
			 Oswestry BC 0 
			 Oxford CC — 
			 Pendle BC — 
			 Penwith DC 0 
			 Peterborough CC 0 
			 Plymouth CC — 
			 Poole BC — 
			 Portsmouth CC 0 
			 Preston CC 1 
			 Purbeck DC 0 
			 Reading DC 1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland DC 0 
			 Redditch BC — 
			 Reigate and Banstead BC — 
			 Restormel BC — 
			 Ribble Valley BC 0 
			 Richmondshire DC 0 
			 Rochdale BC — 
			 Rochford DC 0 
			 Rossendale BC 0 
			 Rother DC — 
			 Rotherham DC 1 
			 Rugby BC — 
			 Runnymede BC 0 
			 Rushcliffe BC — 
			 Rushmoor BC 0 
			 Rutland CC 0 
			 Ryedale CC 0 
			 S Bedfordshire DC — 
			 S Bucks DC — 
			 S Cambridgeshire DC 0 
			 S Derbyshire DC — 
			 S Gloucestershire DC 0 
			 S Hams DC 0 
			 S Holland DC — 
			 S Kesteven DC — 
			 S Lakeland DC 0 
			 S Norfolk DC — 
			 S Northamptonshire DC 0 
			 S Oxfordshire DC 0 
			 S Ribble BC 0 
			 S Shropshire DC 0 
			 S Somerset DC 0 
			 S Staffordshire C 0 
			 S Tyneside DC 0 
			 Salford CC 12 
			 Salisbury DC 0 
			 Sandwell BC 1 
			 Scarborough BC — 
			 Sedgefield DC — 
			 Sedgemoor DC 0 
			 Sefton MBC — 
			 Selby DC 0 
			 Sevenoaks DC — 
			 Sheffield CC — 
			 Shepway DC 0 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham BC — 
			 Slough BC — 
			 Solihull BC 1 
			 Southampton CC 1 
			 Southend-on-Sea BC 0 
			 Spelthorne BC 0 
			 St. Albans CC 0 
			 St. Edmundsbury BC 0 
			 St. Helens MBC 0 
			 Stafford BC 0 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands DC 0 
			 Stevenage BC 0 
			 Stockport BC — 
			 Stockton-on-Tees DC 3 
			 Stoke-on-Trent CC 20 
			 Stratford-on-Avon DC 0 
			 Stroud DC 0 
			 Suffolk Coastal DC 0 
			 Sunderland CC 0 
			 Surrey Heath BC 0 
			 Swale BC 0 
			 Swindon BC — 
			 Tameside BC 0 
			 Tamworth BC 0 
			 Tandridge DC 0 
			 Taunton Deane DC — 
			 Teesdale DC 0 
			 Teignbridge DC — 
			 Telford and Wrekin DC 0 
			 Tendring DC — 
			 Test Valley BC 0 
			 Tewkesbury BC 0 
			 Thanet DC — 
			 Three Rivers DC 0 
			 Thurrock BC 0 
			 Tonbridge and Malling BC 0 
			 Torbay BC 0 
			 Torridge DC — 
			 Trafford BC — 
			 Tunbridge Wells BC 0 
			 Tynedale DC 0 
			 Uttlesford DC 0 
			 Vale of White Horse DC 0 
			 Vale Royal BC 0 
			 W Devon DC 0 
			 W Dorset DC 0 
			 W Lancashire DC 0 
			 W Lindsey DC 0 
			 W Oxfordshire DC — 
			 W Somerset DC 0 
			 W Wiltshire DC 0 
			 Wakefield CC — 
			 Walsall BC 0 
			 Wansbeck DC 0 
			 Warrington BC — 
			 Warwick DC 0 
			 Watford BC 0 
			 Waveney DC — 
			 Waverley BC 0 
			 Wealden DC — 
			 Wear Valley DC 0 
			 Wellingborough DC 0 
			 Welwyn Hatfield DC 0 
			 West Berkshire — 
			 Westminster CC — 
			 Weymouth and Portland BC 0 
			 Wigan BC — 
			 Winchester CC — 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead RB 0 
			 Wirral MDC — 
			 Woking BC 0 
			 Wokingham DC 0 
			 Wolverhampton CC — 
			 Worcester CC 0 
			 Worthing BC — 
			 Wychavon DC — 
			 Wycombe DC — 
			 Wyre BC 0 
			 Wyre Forest DC 0 
			 York CC 0 
			   
			 Total 64 
			   
			 Number of returns received 214

Government Departments: ICT

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on the steps taken to improve cyber security and resilience across Government Departments.

Tony McNulty: Government Departments are made resilient and robust in the face of cyber threats through constant monitoring and upgrading of Government networks including the Government secure intranet (GSI) now connecting in excess of 400,000 users.
	GCHQ and the Centre for Protection of the National Infrastructure also provide warnings, alerts and emergency response as well as assessment of information security products and services.

Human Trafficking: Convictions

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) arrested and  (b) convicted for human trafficking offences in (a) Cleveland, (b) Stockton and (c) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The Sexual Offences Act came into force on 1 May 2004. 232 arrests have been made for human trafficking offences with 134 being charged with trafficking and related offences. Conviction figures under dedicated trafficking legislation for the United Kingdom are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 21 
			 2006 30 
			 2007 17 
		
	
	There have been no arrests in Stockton nor Cleveland.

Immigration: Gurkhas

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discretion she is able to exercise in granting  (a) leave to remain and  (b) British citizenship to Gurkha soldiers who completed their service before 1 July 1997; and how many times that discretion was exercised in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 13 March 2008
	I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 18 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 934-35W. Former Gurkhas who are unable to fulfil the requirements of the Immigration Rules, including those who were discharged from service before 1 July 1997, may benefit from concessionary arrangements on a case-by-case basis where there are strong reasons why settlement in the UK is appropriate. Guidance for dealing with these cases is contained in Immigration Directorate Instructions Chapter 15, Section 2A, at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/IDIs/idischapter15/
	Discretion will have been exercised in all those cases where settlement was granted to former Gurkhas who retired prior to 1 July 1997 but it is not possible to separate the data provided to identify those who retired before on or after that date.
	Gurkha soldiers who have completed their service in the British Army and wish to apply for British citizenship must make a successful application for naturalisation under section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981. There is no distinction between those who enlisted before or after 1 July 1997.
	Policy requirements and procedures for handling nationality applications are available for viewing on the Border and Immigration Agency website at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/nationalityinstructions/nichapter18/

National Firearms Licensing Management System

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1302W, on national firearms licensing management system, when the National Policing Improvement Agency review of the effectiveness of the interface between the national firearms register on the Police National Computer and the National Firearms Licensing Management System will be completed; and if she will publish the results and recommendations of this review.

Vernon Coaker: Following successful completion of the implementation of the interface between the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS) and the Police National Computer (PNC), a review of the efficiency of the interface between the two systems is now being conducted with a view to ensuring that the business benefits are fully realised by the Police Service.
	The review is being conducted by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and the Association of Chief Police Officers. The work has commenced, but it is too early to say when it will be completed. A summary of the review will be made available on the NPIA website:
	www.npia.police.uk
	as soon as it is available.

Police: Finance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the adequacy of police precepts on the council tax due following increases in  (a) licensing hours and  (b) the number of licensed premises since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The recent changes to licensing law appear to have only increased opening hours by around 20 minutes on average across on-licensed premises. The Licensing Act 2003 brought in a new system for licensing the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment and late night refreshment. While no complete data exist for the total number of premises that were licensed under the old regimes, the 2003 Act has probably increased the number of licensed premises only by requiring late night take-aways outside London to be licensed for the first time. This measure has been welcomed by the police as a key benefit in helping them control potential flashpoints for alcohol related crime and disorder. The number of premises licensed for the sale of alcohol has decreased since 1997.
	The evaluation of the Licensing Act 2003, published on 4 March 2007, concluded that the overall volume of crime and disorder has remained stable and not risen.

Prosecutions: Licensing

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted under (i) section 172, (ii) section 172a and (iii) section 173 of the Licensing Act 1964 in each year since 1997; and how many landlords had their licences revoked as a consequence of breach of these provisions.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The number of people proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under (i) section 172, (ii) section 172a and (iii) section 173 of the Licensing Act 1964 can be found in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in late November 2008.
	The Licensing Act 2003 repealed the Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Act when it came into effect on 24 November 2005.
	
		
			  The number of people proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Licensing Act 1964 sections 172,172A, and 173, in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2006 1,2,3,4 
			   Statute:  Offence description: 
			   Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 6. Licensing Act 1964 Sec 172.  Holder of permission not to allow drunkenness etc. Permitting drunkenness or riotous conduct on the premises or selling liquor to a drunken person. 
			  Year  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 1997 9 4 
			 1998 22 11 
			 1999 13 10 
			 2000 10 2 
			 2001 10 5 
			 2002 7 4 
			 2003 8 6 
			 2004 13 6 
			 2005 10 4 
			 2006 6 1 
		
	
	
		
			   Statute:  Offence description: 
			   Licensing Act 1964 Sec 172A as added by Criminal Justice & Police Act 2001 S.32.  Relevant person working in licensed premises to permit drunkenness or violent behaviour etc. 
			  Year  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 1997 — — 
			 1998 — — 
			 1999 — — 
			 2000 — — 
			 2001 — — 
			 2002 1 — 
			 2003 — — 
			 2004 — — 
			 2005 — — 
			 2006 — — 
		
	
	
		
			   Statute:  Offence description: 
			   Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 7. Licensing Act 1964 Sec 173.  Person in licensed premises procuring intoxicating liquor for a drunken person or aiding a drunken person to obtain drink. 
			  Year  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 1997 3 2 
			 1998 5 3 
			 1999 2 1 
			 2000 — — 
			 2001 — — 
			 2002 1 — 
			 2003 1 — 
			 2004 — — 
			 2005 1 1 
			 2006 1 1 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The Licensing Act 2003 repealed the Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Act when it came into effect on 24 November 2005. (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source: Court proceedings database held by RDS - OCJR, Ministry of Justice

Prostitution

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to amend the law on street prostitution; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are fully committed to legislating to remove the stigmatising and outdated term "common prostitute" from the statute books and to reframe the offence of loitering and soliciting. We also remain committed to provide a new court disposal to help those convicted of loitering or soliciting to break the cycle of offending and to develop routes out of prostitution and will look to introduce the necessary legislative changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Sexual Offences: Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) sexual offences prevention orders,  (b) risk of sexual harm orders and  (c) foreign travel orders were issued in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: Data on the number of risk of sexual harm orders issued are not collated. Figures for the number of sexual offence prevention orders (SOPOs) and the number of foreign travel orders (FTOs) issued in each of the last three years is provided as follows.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 SOPOs issued 503 937 1,114 
			 FTOs issued 1 1 3

Sexual Offences: Registration

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offenders  (a) were required to register with the police and  (b) registered with the police in each of the last three years; and how many sex offenders breached registration requirements in each such year.

Vernon Coaker: Information recorded under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements and collated by the Ministry of Justice provides figures on the number of offenders who are registered with the police. The figures for the last three years are provided in the following table.
	Figures for breaches of licence requirements, sexual offence prevention orders (SOPOs) and for those charged with a serious further offence (SFO) are provided in the following table in relation to sexual offenders managed at MAPPA levels 2 and 3.
	
		
			  Total number of registered sex offenders 
			 2004-05 28994 
			 2005-06 29983 
			 2006-07 30416 
		
	
	
		
			  Breaches committed by registered sex offenders managed at MAPPA levels 2 and 3 
			   2004-05  2006-07  2005-06 
			  Level 3
			 Breach of Licence 222 226 218 
			 Breach of SOPO 15 21 17 
			 Charged with SFO 32 12 13 
			  Level 2
			 Breach of Licence 1082 1305 1566 
			 Breach of SOPO 55 81 72 
			 Charged with SFO 47 50 69

Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been allocated to  (a) sexual assault referral centres,  (b) independent advisory services for sexual violence and  (c) independent advisory services for domestic violence in each of the next three financial years.

Vernon Coaker: The provision of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) will continue to be expanded. The new Tackling Violence Action Plan, published on 18 February, details the Government's commitment to supporting the roll out of SARCs over the next three years to ensure that there is a SARC within each police force area. Details of funding amounts for the next three financial years are yet to be finalised.
	For 2008-09, the Government have committed £760,000 to continue to fund the 38 Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) pilots. This will be the third and final year of funding the pilots, which have been extended to accommodate the evaluation which is due to report this summer.
	The Ministry of Justice has committed £3 million per year for Independent Domestic Violence Advisers for the three-year period from 2007-08 to 2009-10.
	The Tackling Violence Action Plan also commits the Government to supporting over the next three years all Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in offering independent advisory services to victims of sexual and domestic violence and, where appropriate, other forms of violence where victims are particularly vulnerable. Details of this funding are yet to be finalised.

Vandalism: Buses

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have been made by the Metropolitan Police's Transport Operational Command Unit's Operation Bus Tag in each year since its inception, broken down by the  (a) bus route and  (b) borough where the arrest took place.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not held centrally.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residents in  (a) Stroud constituency and  (b) Gloucestershire were on the national sex offenders register at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Data on registered sexual offenders are collated geographically by police force area and broken down to basic command unit (BCU) area. The data are published in local Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) annual reports, which are available in the House Libraries and online at:
	http://www.probation.justice.gov.uk/output/page30.asp
	The Stroud constituency is not coterminous with any BCU area, but is covered by the data relating to the Stroud and Cotswolds BCU in Gloucestershire.
	As of 31 March 2007, there were 76 registered sex offenders in Stroud and Cotswolds and 311 in Gloucestershire.

Written Questions

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer Question 181925, on prisoners: Muslims, tabled by the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden on 23rd January 2008.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	I replied to the right hon. Member's question on 18 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1099W.